Love Shack of Doom
by monkeyface52
Summary: Nathan and Allison are getting married. A GD employee and his wife going missing. Could things get any worse for Sheriff Jack Carter? Enter Allison's sister... Carter/Allison Nathan/OC Please R
1. Chapter 1

_**One**_

Jack Carter was having a bad day. It began when SARAH– the know-it-all personality of his smart house – woke him at 5:15, reminding him of his New Year's resolution to go running every morning.

"Not now, Sarah," he'd mumbled from under the covers, trying desperately to go back to sleep and return to his dream about him, Jennifer Garner, and Halle Berry in a swimming pool. SARAH had responded by turning up the heat so high, he'd thrown his now sweaty sheets on the floor in disgust.

Things got worse when Zoe had informed him that she had plans to go on a ski trip that weekend with some friends.

"And who will be the adult chaperone for this ski spectacular of yours," he'd asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the kitchen counter. Zoe busied herself in the fridge so he couldn't see her face. He knew she was doing it on purpose.

"Well, Lisa is a senior. She's eighteen, legally an adult and--."

"No."

"But--."

"No adult, no trip. I'm not an idiot, Zoe." She'd alternated between angry yelling and pathetic pleading for the next five minutes, finally giving up and storming out of their underground bunker of a house without saying goodbye.

"Bacon and eggs, Sarah. Black coffee," he'd spoken out loud, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. Life was so easy before teenagers.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff," she'd replied in that annoyingly calm monotone voice of hers. "An analysis of your bodily fluids this morning revealed that your sodium level is slightly elevated. Too much sodium can result in high blood pressure. How about a nice healthy grapefruit and a glass of juice?" Carter looked up, his hand still on his head.

"My bodily fluids? You mean you--."

"I analyzed the toilet water after you went to the bathroom."

"Sarah, that's disgusting," he groaned.

"All part of living a healthier lifestyle, Sheriff. You said on New Year's Day--."

"I know what I said," he interrupted, not wanting yet another lecture from his house. He hurried out, deciding he'd head over to Vincent's and grab breakfast there.

It was 7:30 in the morning and he was already having a bad day.

"Not now, Fargo. I'm having a bad day." Allison walked fast, her heels clicking loudly on the tile floor.

"B-But Carson Hunter says it's an emergency and--." Allison stopped suddenly and turned to Fargo, silencing him with a threatening stare.

"Fargo, I'm getting married in a month. I haven't found a caterer, the florist just cancelled, and one of my bride's maids was experimenting with new camouflage techniques and now no one can find her. Now _that's_ an emergency. Whatever you're dealing with can wait." Fargo stood there, his mouth open, eyes wide in shock. Allison gave him a final death stare before turning and power walking to her office.

It wouldn't be Global Dynamics if there weren't an emergency every day. Finally reaching her office, she slammed the door behind her and sat down with a sigh. This wedding was turning into so much more of a hassle than she'd bargained for. In the back of her mind, she wondered if maybe all the problems were a sign from God. An omen. A warning. _You tried this once! You're crazy to try it again!_

Allison closed her eyes and began rubbing her right temple, a headache forming. Was she crazy? She'd tried with Nathan Stark once before. It didn't work. For the longest time she couldn't even stand the thought of him. When he'd left Eureka, it was like an answer to prayer. She felt like she could breath again. She was free! She could parent Kevin, work, and live without anything hanging over her head.

But then he'd come back, looking just as sexy as ever. When he was head of GD, he was so busy that things between them weren't that bad. They were still fire on fire and Allison continued to loath him. But, every once in a while, he'd allow her those moments, those glimpses into Nathan Stark the human – not Nathan Stark the power hungry, I'll step on anything that gets in my way man he'd become – and she'd feel those stupid butterflies in her stomach again.

When he was let go from his position at GD and she was hired in his place, she thought he'd run off to more glamorous pursuits. But he'd stayed. And, to be honest, he seemed to have stayed for her. Over the next year, they'd worked side by side – just like old times. Slowly, her resentment faded. When he looked at her with those mesmerizing blue eyes of his, when he called her name in that deep husky Nathan voice, she felt like she could melt.

And the he'd done the unexpected – he'd proposed. Again. Even more surprising was that she'd said yes. Even after all those years. Even knowing everything she knew about him. Even with her feelings about Carter…

Was she crazy? Maybe. But it was too late to turn back now.

A familiar chime rang and Allison turned her attention to her computer, knowing she'd just gotten an e-mail. She narrowed her eyes at the un-familiar address and double clicked, knowing the server wouldn't have let in junk-mail.

Her face took on the same expression of Fargo's in the hall – complete and total shock. She re-read the e-mail three times, still finding it hard to believe. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Hands shaking, Allison slowly reached for her phone and pressed the intercom.

"Please don't yell at me again," his whinny voice pleaded over the phone.

"Fargo, get in here. I need you to do something." Allison did her best to keep her voice calm, licking her lips nervously.

"Be there in a sec," he said, sounding relieved. She clicked the connection closed, but continued to stare at the screen. It just couldn't be.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Two**_

"You're the Sheriff."

"And you're the deputy."

"It's your _duty_!"

"And it's your _job_ to do what I say!" Jo glared at Carter and he matched her stare, unflinching. They'd had this argument more than once. Carter didn't want to go into the office. Jo wanted to be patrolling the streets. They were like two kids, arguing over who would have to do the dishes. Jo usually won, though. Jack would never tell her, but she kind of intimidated him.

"I've got five dollars on Jo," Vincent threw in, as if reading Jack's mind. Jack turned his glare to Vincent, Jo giving him a triumphant smile.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Vincent," Jack sarcastically commented.

"Sorry, Sheriff," Vincent shrugged. "She's tough. But, to make you feel better, your refill is on the house."

"The coffee is always free."

"Then you should already feel better!" Vincent laughed as he walked back to the kitchen, leaving Jack to shake his head and finish up his breakfast, knowing he'd have to go sit behind his desk. Jo's cell phone started ringing and she answered. The expression on her face quickly turned from annoyance to a delighted shock.

"No way! You can't be serious! Are you sure?" Jack tried to catch her eye, wondering who it was, but Jo shooed him away like he was a fly. She stood up and stepped away from the counter for a little privacy. Jack took that moment to add a little salt to Jo's abandoned coffee cup. He may have to go into the office, but he'd make sure Jo knew he wasn't going down without a fight.

She came back a few minutes later, grinning from ear to ear.

"Care to share?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup and waiting for her to gag on hers. She pretended like she didn't hear him as she stood and eagerly got Vincent's attention.

"This better be good," he said, coming back to the counter and putting his hands on his hips.

"You'll never guess who is coming back to Eureka," she challenged, excitement evident in every word.

"Maybe you should sit down, take a drink before you go on," Jack urged. She continued to ignore him.

"Is it Al Gore? Because, I tell you, that man could eat me out of house and home!" Vincent replied. Jo rolled her eyes.

"Again with that? We all know you don't like the man--."

"Jo! Are you going to tell us?" Jack interrupted, getting impatient. She either needed to talk or drink. He didn't have all morning. Jo leaned forward on the counter, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Casey Blake." Vincent's eyes grew wide as his hands dropped to his side.

"Shut-up!" Vincent exclaimed. Jo stood straight, nodding madly.

"I swear. Fargo just told me!"

"Excuse me?" Jack said, raising his hand like a little kid. Jo and Vincent gave him their attention. "Hi, Sheriff Carter here. Still kind of new to town, don't know all the ins and outs. Why is this Casey Blake such a big deal?"

"Casey _Blake_, Carter…she's Allison's little sister." Carter scrunched up his face in confusion.

"Sister? Allison never mentioned she had a sister."

"She wouldn't. They're not exactly close," Jo told him.

"Do you think she's coming back for the wedding?" Vincent asked. Carter cringed. There was nothing he hated in the world more than thinking about Nathan and Allison's wedding. Nothing.

"Fargo just said that Allison asked him if he would get one of the maid robots over to her house to get everything ready. She's coming tomorrow! It can't be for the wedding…can it?"

"Why is this such a bug deal?" Carter asked, hating how everyone talked around him like he wasn't there. Jo sighed, seeming annoyed. But Vincent turned to him and picked up his now empty plate.

"Casey Blake isn't just Allison's little sister…she's Nathan's ex-girlfriend." Now it was Carter who looked shocked.

"What?" Sputtering from his side drew both of their attention to Jo, who was wiping furiously at her mouth.

"Who put salt in my coffee!?!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Three**_

Global Dynamics stood large and impressive against the gray and cloudy Pacific Northwest sky. Though Carter hated coming here – the calls usually having to do with national security or some idiot mistake one of the too-smart scientist had made – he was all too glad to leave the confines of his desk and answer Fargo's urgent call.

Inside, business was going about as usual. _Things can't be too bad_ Jack thought to himself. _No alarms going off, no people running back and forth screaming_. Well, no one unusual, anyway. Fargo had spotted him and was rushing toward him as though his life depended on it.

"Sheriff Carter! Thank God you're here," Fargo exclaimed, pushing his thick black glass up on his nose.

"Where's the fire, Fargo? You were kind of vague on the phone," Jack said, glancing around him to see if Allison were there.

"One of our psychological researchers has gone missing!" Carter scratched his head in confusion, shifting back and forth on his feet.

"Psychological researchers? What do you mean?"

"GD employees a group of psychological researchers who develop different, uh, methods of psychological…devices."

"You don't mean things like non-invasive torture devices, do you?" Carter asked, shuddering as he remembered the episode of 24 he'd watched the night before. Fargo rolled his eyes.

"Is that all people think about? Of course not! Well, I mean, they have come up with some things…but they do so much more than that! Remember Beverly's virtual reality counseling device?" This time, Jack rolled his eyes. Of course he remembered the device that, when combined with a concussion he'd suffered that same day, nearly killed him.

"Okay, so how long has this whoever--."

"Dr. Horton. Greg Horton," Fargo interrupted.

"Right. Dr. Greg Horton--."

"And his wife."

"His wife is missing too?" Jack asked incredulously. Fargo nodded.

"Yeah. No one has seen or heard from them since yesterday." Jack sighed and ran his hand through his short, sandy hair.

"Fargo, you know people aren't considered missing until 48 hours has past," Jack told him.

"I know that! It's just--," at this, Fargo looked around to make sure no one was listening. He learned in close to Carter and whispered, "they had a _huge_ fight yesterday." Jack cocked an eyebrow and Fargo nodded knowingly.

"Okay," Jack said slowly, not knowing what the big deal was. "Married people fight, you know."

"But don't you think it's a little suspicious that they're _both_ missing right after it happened?"

"I told you, people aren't missing until--."

"I already tried, Carter," a painfully familiar voice chuckled from behind. Jack turned to see Allison, standing with her arms crossed, looking beautiful as always. He hated the way his heart always sped up when she was near.

"Hey, Allison," he greeted, his voice cracking slightly. What was he? 12?

"I also told him he didn't need to bother you with this, but apparently Fargo doesn't think I know what I'm talking about," she stated, casting a frown at Fargo, who hid slightly behind Jack.

"I'm just worried, that's all," Fargo mumbled. Jack turned back to him.

"Fargo, it's fine to be worried. But, honestly, I can't do anything until they've been missing 48 hours. Why don't you try calling their family and friends? I'm sure someone knows where they are." Carter gave Fargo half a smile, hoping to placate him. Fargo just sighed, then stormed off. Jack turned back to Allison.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, giving him a weak smile. He smiled back.

"I really didn't have anything better to do. I, uh, let Joe have the pleasure of going on patrol today. You know, 'cause I'm such a nice guy."

"You mean because you're scared of her," Allison laughed, her smile growing bigger. Jack laughed too, thinking how much he missed these little moments with her. Since she and Nathan got engaged, it seemed like they had so much less time together.

An awkward pause fell between them, as though neither knew what else to say but neither wanted to say goodbye.

"Oh!" Jack exclaimed. "I hear your sister is coming into town." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted it. Allison's smile fell and was replaced with a strange mixture of sadness, surprise, and fear.

"How did you know about that?" she asked in a harsh whisper. Carter glanced behind him and Allison groaned. "Fargo."

"Actually it was Jo." That seemed to make Allison even more angry.

"Why can't people just mind their own business?" Allison mumbled, more to herself than to Jack.

"I didn't even know you had a sister," Jack said light heartedly, hoping to lighten the mood. Allison opened her mouth to say something, but Carter's phone began ringing. He looked at the caller ID. "Zoe? Aren't you in school?" he answered. He gave Allison a half smile, then turned his back for a little privacy. "No, I haven't changed my mind. No, I'm no going to. You aren't going and we both know you can't keep your room clean for a year." Zoe yelled something loud enough for Allison to hear before hanging up. Carter flipped the phone closed and put it back in his pocket, turning back to Allison. "Sorry about that."

"No problem." She looked at her watch. "Shoot, I have a meeting I need to be at. Sorry again about making you come down for no reason," she apologized.

"Hey, I don't mind. Really." And he meant it. Allison gave him and appreciative smile, then took off a at a brisk pace. Carter stood there and watched her go, not caring that he looked ridiculous just standing there. He couldn't help but wonder just what had happened with her sister.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Four**_

Allison hated lying. It made her feel immature and rotten. But she didn't know what else to do. She just didn't think she could handle the truth. At least, not at that moment.

"You realize you're passing up the opportunity of a lifetime here?" Nathan asked with that charming smile of his. Allison forced herself to smile back.

"I know. I've just been working so much, I really want to spend some one on one time with Kevin." It made Allison feel even worse that she was using her son as an excuse.

"I'll probably never offer again," Nathan continued. Allison sighed. It really did seem like he was trying harder this time around. He'd made himself more available than ever before…of course, he wasn't _exactly_ working full time, so that might have helped. But he was planning dates and trying to be more romantic.

"And you know I'd love to have you cook for me," she told him. "But tonight just won't work." She couldn't believe that Nathan hadn't heard about Casey coming yet. Rumors spread like wildfire in this town. Of course, with Nathan and Casey's past, maybe people were just trying to spare Nathan's feelings. She knew she was.

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know," he said softly, standing up. Allison stood up too and came from behind her desk. She reached up and gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks for understanding," she whispered in his ear, biting back the guilt that was weighing so heavy on her. She just needed to tell him! But she couldn't. Nathan turned to leave just as Fargo came bursting through the door. He was going so fast, he rammed right into Nathan's massive chest, bouncing back slightly.

"Fargo," Nathan said, all the sweetness gone from his voice.

"Dr. Stark," Fargo replied, straightening up and pushing back his glasses.

"You ever heard of knocking?" Nathan asked, crossing his arms.

"This is an emergency!" Fargo exclaimed, looking back and forth between Nathan and Allison.

"Here we go again," Allison chuckled.

"You need to listen to me, Ms. Blake," he said, rushing over to Allison's desk. "It's been 48 hours. Legally, we should be worried now. I called both of their parents, their friends – no one knows where they are!"

"What are you talking about, Fargo?" Nathan asked.

"Dr. Horton and his wife are missing! 2 days missing! They had a huge fight an no one has seen them since!"

"Greg Horton? That weird guy who has all those 'Make peace, not war' stickers all over his car?" Nathan chuckled. "I always thought he was kind of a hippie."

"Whatever. He's missing and we need to do something."

"Call Carter," Allison sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing them. This is exactly what she didn't need. She had enough on her plate without having to deal with another GD emergency. Sometimes she missed the days where the responsibility didn't always rest on her shoulders.

Fargo didn't need to be told twice. He dashed out of the office to call Sheriff Carter. Nathan looked at Allison and said,

"Do you really think this is something to worry about?"

"Fargo won't drop it. I don't have a choice. I'm sure it's nothing." Nathan said goodbye again. After he left, Allison sat down and began sorting through some reports, trying to keep the ominous feeling of what that night would bring at the back of her mind.

The end of the day came too quickly for Allison. On the drive home, she tapped her fingers nervously on the steering wheel, her stomach tying up in knots.

Nine years. It had been nine years since she'd last seen Casey…since Casey had left was more like it. Sure, they'd written a few times over the years. But it was like there was a chasm between them that could never be healed. What did she want now?

When Allison arrived home, there was a car in her driveway. Her breath caught in her throat and, for a brief moment, she thought about driving right by her own house and not stopping until she was far away from Eureka. But, upon closer inspection, she realized that the car was Carter's cruiser.

Inside, Carter was sitting at the counter with Kevin, the two of them indulging in bowls of vanilla ice cream.

"Uh-oh, busted," Carter grinned as Allison walked through the door. Kevin looked up at her and gave her a hint of a smile before focusing back on his ice cream. "He made me do it," Carter told her, causing her to smile as well.

"I think I'll let it go this time," Allison laughed, simply relived that it wasn't Casey sitting there. Carter stood up and walked over to her.

"Sorry to intrude like this, but I needed to talk to you. Fargo called me today."

"Of course," Allison rolled her eyes.

"I know you don't think it's anything and you're probably right, but I'm going to need to look into it. I mean, for both a husband _and_ wife to go missing is pretty rare. For all we know, they could have dashed off to a romantic vacation somewhere."

"I go could for one of those right now," Allison smiled dreamily, leaning back on the counter and closing her eyes.

"You'll get one soon enough. You know, the honeymoon and all," Carter replied. Allison cracked an eye open at him.

"Who has time for a honeymoon?" she asked. "GD doesn't exactly take vacations."

"What fun is getting married without the honeymoon?" he asked, giving her a sly grin. Allison laughed, trying to ignore the butterflies that assaulted her stomach. The back door opened and she stood straight up, her heart dropping to her feet. Carter turned as well. Though it wasn't Casey, Allison still felt a horrible sense of dread.

"Nathan!" Nathan looked not at her but at Carter.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked Carter in a not so friendly tone. Carter crossed his arms defensively.

"Just talking with a friend. You got a problem with that?" Nathan started hard at Carter, then turned his attention to Allison, still not smiling.

"I thought you were busy tonight."

"I was. I-I mean, I am. Carter just stopped by to talk about Dr. Horton. He was just leaving." Carter looked back at Allison and opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head to silence him. He looked back over at Nathan.

"Yeah, just leaving." Before Carter could move, the doorbell rang. All three of them looked toward the front room.

"Oh God," Allison whispered to herself. The situation couldn't have been any worse.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Five**_

Jack had never seen Allison looked so scared – and they'd been in some scary situations. Well, maybe one other time. To save his life, they'd had to perform a very risky experiment on Kevin. At one point, they thought he'd disappeared…or worse. That had been sheer terror. But this – this was more of a look of panic combined with fear.

Allison stared at the front door, unmoving. Jack figured it was Casey. Honestly, he'd put off talking to Allison about the Horton's until that night in hopes of catching a glimpse of this mystery sister of hers. Jo wouldn't give him any details about the hyped-up history, preferring instead to make him wait and wonder. So he'd taken matters into his own hands by stopping by.

"Ally? You going to get that?" Nathan laughed, snapping Allison out of her state of shock. She jumped and looked back at the two of them. Jack had been smiling, but the smile faded as he realized that Nathan apparently didn't know Casey was coming. That must have been part of the reason Allison looked so scared.

The doorbell rang again and Allison rushed to the front door. Jack looked over at Nathan and wondered if he should say something.

"Uh, Stark?" Nathan looked down at Jack.

"Are you still here?"

"Listen, I think you should know that.." but he trailed off as the look of superiority on Stark's face was replaced with a blank, smile-less stare. Jack turned to see that Allison had re-entered the kitchen along with who he assumed to be her sister.

Casey Blake was a obviously younger than Allison – she looked to be in her late twenties. She was about the same height and had the same beautiful brown eyes. But that was where the similarities ended. She was a few shades lighter than Allison and wore her hair in short, spiky braids. She was wearing khaki cargo pants, a faded tee-shirt promoting the Pussy Cat Dolls, and a short denim jacket. She was like the bizzaro Allison – appearing as carefree laid back as Allison was professional and business minded.

"Carter, this is my sister, Casey. Casey, this is Sheriff Jack Carter," Allison introduced, her voice steady but her hands shaking. Though she was talking to Jack, her eyes were on Nathan, whose eyes were frozen on Casey.

"Nice to meet you, Jack," Casey smiled, leaning forward and shaking Jack's hand. He glanced at Allison, then back at Casey, having a hard time believing they were related.

"Same here, Casey." Her eyes moved from Jack to Nathan, her face still kind and friendly.

"Nathan, good to see you," she told him. Jack couldn't read Nathan's blue eyes. The man was a master of hiding his emotions.

"Casey," he said after a moment, his voice flat. Nathan finally moved his eyes to Allison, who wasn't nearly as good at masking her feelings. She was holding her hands tight together and her brown eyes were wide. "I'll see you tomorrow," he told her simply, turning and walking out the door. Allison let out a breath, but Jack didn't think it was out of relief. She looked back at her sister and Jack suddenly felt like he was intruding.

"I should be getting going too," he told Allison. She gave him half a smile, looking so vulnerable. Whatever had happened between the three of them obviously still affected them…at least, it affected Allison and Stark.

"Nice to meet you, Jack. I'll see you around," Casey said cheerfully. Allison cast her another unsure look and Jack knew he needed to get out of there.

He stepped into the cool evening just in time to see Nathan peel noisily off down the street. With a sigh he climbed into his cruiser and set off for home. Dealing with Zoe seemed like it would be a cakewalk compared to this drama.

Jack had the strangest dream that night. He was standing on a beach, surrounded by a bunch of well dressed people. They were sitting, staring at a tent, apparently waiting for something. Out of no where, music started playing. The people stood and turned, goofy smiles on their faces. Jack stood on his tip-toes, trying to see what they were all staring at.

Allison stood there, looking stunning in a glamorous white wedding gown that made her look like a princess. She began walking toward the crowd slowly, her hands clutching a beautiful bouquet of white roses. Everyone around Jack began whispering and murmuring, smiles still on their faces. Jack began fighting his way through them, desperate to get to Allison. Desperate to tell her how beautiful she looked, how beautiful she always looked. But it seemed like every time he tried to move forward, people pushed him back.

Suddenly, Jack saw where she was walking. Some distance off, Stark stood, looking large and serious in a black tux. Allison's eyes were totally focused on him, but the smile was no longer on her face. She suddenly looked more like zombie, walking not of her own accord. And Stark just stood there, not smiling…waiting.

Jack fought harder, feeling urgency as he tried to get to Allison to stop her.

"She's making a mistake! Allison, you're making a mistake!" he shouted, but no one would listen. Over the whispers and murmurs he heard something else. It sounded like someone yelling for help.

Taking his eyes off Allison, he looked toward the ocean. Amidst the crashing waves, he saw two bobbing heads. Though he'd never met them before, he knew they were Dr. and Mrs. Greg Horton. Their arms waved madly in the air as they tried to stay afloat, occasionally disappearing as a wave came towering over their heads.

Out of no where, another head popped up along side them. It was Casey Blake. They were all three screaming for help now, but Jack appeared to be the only one who heard them.

He turned back and saw Allison was nearer to Stark. He had to stop her! But he had to help those drowning people! As if sensing his panic and indecision, the people around him began pressing in, keeping him hostage.

"No, stop! I need to stop her! I need to help them!"

"NO!" Jack yelled, sitting up in his bed with a start. He was breathing hard, his sheets tangled around his legs. It was a dream…just a dream. Yet, he couldn't shake the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that something bad was on the way.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Six**_

"Morning, Jo," Jack greeted as he walked into the station the following morning.

"Mmmmpphhh." Jack took a closer look at his deputy, whose cheeks were puffed up and her hands covered in white powder.

"Late breakfast?" he laughed, sitting down at his desk. She nodded guilty as she finished chewing and headed to bathroom to wash her hands. Jack looked down on his desk and saw a file with the name 'Horton' written on the tab. He'd asked Jo to do a little info gathering on the supposedly missing Dr. and his wife. It looked like she'd pulled through.

"Thanks, Jo," he called into the bathroom, picking up the folder despite the powdery white finger prints covering it.

"There's not much there. Dr. Horton was a pretty laid back guy. His wife teaches at the high school."

"Did you talk to the school?"

"Not yet," she answered, coming out of the bathroom and drying her hands on a towel.

Jack pulled out a picture of the couple and absently scratched at his hand. Dr. Horton looked like a hippie. He had long salt and pepper hair (more salt than pepper) that was pulled back into a ponytail, despite his receding hairline. His bushy beard matched and he looked more like a beach bum than a scientist.

His wife was more of a shock. She appeared to be about twenty years younger and looked like a model straight off the cover of Cosmo. Her long, stylish dark hair framed her exotic looking face, causing her green eyes to sparkle even in the picture. She was dressed like she was going out to a club – totally the opposite of the jeans, floral shirt, and sandals of her husband. But they were both smiling and looked totally happy.

"Wow. Talk about an odd couple," Jack said to himself. He flipped through a few more pages, amazed at the amount of powdered sugar Jo had gotten on the file.

"She's 32. He's 50. They've been married for eleven years. No kids," Jo told him, sitting at her own desk and booting up her computer.

"I'm thinking I'm going to stop by GD and talk to his co-workers, then do the same at the high school. You want to tag along?" he asked, scratching hard at his left hand.

"Sure, whatever." Jack continued reading, gathering background information on Dr. Greg Horton and Mrs. Felicia Horton. He scratched even harder at his right hand.

"He used to work at the Pentagon?" Jack asked.

"Who didn't?" Jo responded with a smile. Jack put down the file to scratch both hands at once.

"Geeze, what's the matter with me?" he seethed, his hands turning red. Now his wrists were itching as well.

"Something wrong, Carter?"

"My hands. I think I got something on them." He kept scratching as he looked up at Jo. The smile on her face caused his hands to slow down. "Jo…what did you do?"

"Coffee?" she asked sweetly, standing up and moving toward the door.

"Oh, you are _so_ going to regret this," he threatened, dashing to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Eureka High School felt like a mini-Global Dynamics. The building was just as new and just as impressive. And, remembering the disastrous science fairs they had every year, just as dangerous.

When Jack and Jo arrived, class was in session and the pristine halls were empty. Unfortunately for them, the principal wasn't in and wouldn't be for the rest of the day.

"But I could help you," the secretary smiled, winking at Jack. She was old enough to be his mother…or grandmother. He heard Jo snicker under her breath.

"That would be great Mrs.--"

"It's _Ms._ Ruth Peterson." Another wink. Jack shuddered, but kept smiling.

"You haven't seen Mrs. Felicia Horton for the past two days, have you?"

"Felicia? No, she hasn't been around." Jack waited for more, but the older woman just stood there, smiling.

"And she didn't say anything?" Jo asked.

"No. We've had a sub take over her classes."

"Isn't that unusual for a teacher to just…not show up. To not call for a sub or anything?" Jack asked. Ruth laughed as though Jack had said a really funny joke and slapped him playfully on the arm.

"She's a GD wife, Sheriff. They're in and out all the time with hardly a word. Just last month, Hannah Jacobs up and disappeared for a whole week without a word. Turns out her husband got called to this high security conference in DC and he took her along as sort of a mini vacation. Of course, he wasn't allowed to tell anyone where he was going. You come to expect that kind of thing around here." Jack and Jo exchanged a look, then turned back to Ruth.

"Thanks so much for your time, Mrs.--"

"That's _Ms._," she winked again. This time, Jo laughed out loud.

"Thanks Ms. Peterson."

"Anytime, Sheriff," she growled.

Outside, Jo let loose laughing.

"Are you finished?" Jack asked impatiently. She laughed for a few more moments, then calmed down enough to walk back out to the cruiser.

"So, it's not uncommon for GD wives to go missing along with their husbands," Jo mused out loud.

"I told Fargo it was probably nothing to be worried about. They're probably living it up in Havana or something."

"Do you still want to go to GD?" Jo asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"We'd better," Jack decided, climbing behind the steering wheel. They drove off and headed for Global Dynamics.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Seven**_

Allison sat at her desk, staring at her computer but seeing nothing. She was so pre-occupied, she didn't even know why she bothered coming into work. She knew she wasn't going to get anything done.

Closing her eyes, she replayed the previous night in her head.

"So, Casey, what are you doing here?" Allison finally asked her sister. Casey was sitting beside Kevin, rubbing him lovingly on the back as he flipped through the book of physics problems she'd brought for him.

"You're getting married, Ally. Why wouldn't I come?" she answered with a smile.

"You didn't come the first time," Allison said, sounding more sad than bitter. Casey continued smiling.

"But I'm here now. Isn't that what matters?" Allison continued to stare at her sister, wondering how she could appear so calm…so carefree.

Allison and Casey were as different as night and day. They always had been. But, despite their differences, they'd always been close…well, up until she left Eureka. Then everything had changed.

"Casey…there's so much we never talked about," Allison sighed. Casey looked up at her and, for the first time since she'd arrived, her smile left her face.

"Ally, let's not, okay? The past is past. It's been nine years. Let's focus on now! Today! You're getting married! This should be a really happy time." That was just like her. Casey hated confrontation and would do whatever possible to avoid arguments and problems.

"You want to just ignore--."

"Did I tell you about my trip to Victoria Falls?" Casey interrupted, smiling again. Allison knew this was her way of saying _drop it_. Though Allison had a million questions on her mind, she decided to let it go…at least for tonight.

Opening her eyes once again in her office, Allison wondered if she'd made the right choice not talking things over with Casey. Nathan would be sure to ask…

Nathan. He hadn't come by all morning, which was unusual. He was probably mad. She knew she would be. Deciding to be proactive, Allison picked up her phone and dialed his cell. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello Allison," he answered. She cringed. Lately, he only called her Allison when he was upset.

"Hey, do you have a minute? Could you come by? I think we should talk." Nathan paused before answering.

"I have a lot of work to get don."

"Please, Nathan," she whispered. He paused again.

"Fine," he said simply before hanging up. Allison hung up her phone and began tapping her fingers nervously on her desk. Never in a million years did she think Casey would come back to Eureka. Especially not for her wedding.

Nathan was there five minutes later. He sat in the chair across from Allison's desk and laced his fingers behind his head. He didn't say anything – just looked at her with those bright blue eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you she was coming," Allison apologized.

"How long did you know?" he asked, his expression blank.

"Just the day before. She sent me an e-mail, said she was coming the next day. That was it."

"Do you know why she's here?" Allison gave him a weak smile.

"She said she's here for the wedding." Nathan's expression didn't change, but he averted his eyes and looked out the large glass wall that overlooked the entryway of Global Dynamics.

"Guess you know who your maid of honor will be, then," he told her.

"Nathan, if this is going to be awkward--." His eyes snapped back to her.

"Why would it be awkward?" Allison opened her mouth to reply, but stopped. They both knew why it would be awkward. Casey had broken his heart. Though the two of them had never talked about it, it didn't take a genius to see how upset he'd been when Casey had left without a word nine years ago. Sure, he acted fine about it now. But Allison knew he was a master at hiding his emotions.

"Why would it be awkward?" he repeated, narrowing his eyes at her. Allison looked down at her desk, feeling unnerved by his gaze.

"It wouldn't be, I'm sure," she replied. Nathan stood up.

"Is that all?" he asked. Allison looked back up at him and nodded, standing as well. Nathan walked over to her and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later, then." Allison nodded again and he walked out the door.

Sitting back down, Allison rubbed her temples, another headache forming. Sometimes she wanted Nathan to get angry – red faced, screaming, throwing things angry. At least then he would show some emotion. But it was so frustrating sometimes being with a man who was so…emotionless.

Emotionless. That was the right word. Aside from a few smiles he'd give when they were alone or the little bits of jealousy he displayed when Carter was around, Nathan Stark was like a granite man. Allison had learned that it was part of the package. But sometimes, she just wanted _something._

With a laugh, she remembered when some crazed nano-bots programmed to Nathan's brainwaves had formed into him and kissed her with more passion than the real Nathan Stark ever had. It turned out that they were imitating a dream Nathan had been experiencing. Allison couldn't help but wonder what else the dream Nathan Stark was capable of.

"Ms. Blake?" Fargo's voice called over the intercom on her phone.

"Yes, Fargo," she replied, snapping out of her daydream.

"Sheriff Carter is here. He wants to go talk to Dr. Horton's co-workers." Allison sighed. She'd forgotten all about her supposed missing employee.

"Tell him I'll be right there."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Eight**_

As Jack and Jo waited for Allison in the lobby, Jack scratched at his hand. Jo snickered and he glared at her.

"You don't know what you're asking for," he said.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," she smiled back. Allison came walking quickly toward them, causing them to focus on the job at hand.

"You want to head over to the psychological research department?" Allison asked, looking back and forth between them. They nodded and the three of them began walking. Fargo joined and Jack took that opportunity to fall back a step with Allison.

"Your sister seems nice," he told her. Allison rolled her eyes. "What?"

"First, you only met her for a second. You can hardly tell how much you like someone that fast. Second, I know you just want information from me."

"Information?" Allison glanced over at him and gave him a knowing smile.

"The subject of my sister has become somewhat taboo here in Eureka. That means you're dying to know what happened and no one will tell you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack lied, amazed that she knew _exactly_ what he'd been thinking.

"Right, Carter. Well, there's nothing to talk about. The past is in the past," she shrugged, though Carter doubted that was true. He'd seen the way Allison had reacted when her sister arrived. The past was anything but past.

"How come you didn't tell Stark she was coming?" Allison abruptly stopped and leaned in close to Jack, her voice a harsh whisper.

"Carter, drop it." Jack took a step back and held up his hands defensively.

"Okay, it's dropped!" Allison glared at him, then set off walking once more. Jack followed after her, wondering just what the big deal was.

The Psychological Research and Development department looked much different than the other labs and departments Jack had visited around Global Dynamics. Instead of cold, sterile, white walls and gleaming tables with strange instruments, the walls were painted a light shade of blue and had art work all over them. Oak tables stood throughout the large room they were in, covered with books and beakers and tubes and wires disappearing into nowhere.

There were three men and one woman milling about, dressed in the typical scientist's white lab coats and goggles. Soft classical music piped through speakers mounted at the tops of the walls. Fargo walked over and got the attention of one of the workers, bringing the middle aged man back over to their group.

"This is Dr. Carson Hunter," Fargo said. "He's the one who brought to my attention that Dr. Horton was missing." Instead of looking grateful, the man rolled his eyes.

"I hardly made it seem that dramatic. Fargo was eavesdropping--."

"I was not!" Fargo interrupted. "I was in the bathroom and simply _overheard_ you talking."

"Sounds like eavesdropping to me," Jo chuckled, crossing her arms.

"Anyway," Dr. Hunter continued, "I was talking with a colleague about how Greg and his wife had gotten in a huge fight and then he wasn't at work the next day. I simply made a _joke_," he cast a pointed look at Fargo, who was suddenly very interested in a painting on one of the walls, "that there might have been foul play involved. Really, it was only a joke. Greg wouldn't hurt a fly. Neither would his wife."

"How long have you known Dr. Horton?" Jack asked.

"We worked together at the Pentagon before relocating to Eureka. I mean, we aren't close friends by any means."

"Is there a reason for that?" Jo asked. He looked at her and smiled.

"Let's just say we hold different views on the next paths that psychological research should take. He's the definition of a pacifist and wasn't quiet about his disapproval of some of the projects we were working on."

"You mean torture?" Jack questioned, crossing his arms and staring hard at the man.

"Yes and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Sometimes, drastic measures have to be used to get the truth out of people. But, because of methods and devices that we've developed, those measures no longer have to involve physically endangering the person."

"Just mentally," Jack mumbled under his breath. Allison shot him a mean look but Dr. Hunter just laughed.

"Think what you will, Sheriff, but this country is a lot safer because of some of the secrets we've forced out of people."

"So, are you saying Dr. Horton didn't agree that torture was necessary?" Jo asked, trying to bring the focus back to the case at hand.

"Something like that. You see, Dr. Horton is an idealist. He thinks that, given a chance, people will do the right thing. He believed that if we created a positive enough environment, people would _naturally_ tell the truth." Dr. Hunter chuckled again. "I always thought he was a bit of a hippie."

"What is he working on right now?" Jack asked, glancing around the strange looking lab.

"Come see for yourself," Dr. Horton said, leading the four of them to a table. Like the others, there were wires and tubes and flashing lights all seemingly connected to each other. But in the middle of all of this stood a small pot with what appeared to be a mini sunflower. Dr. Horton smiled at Jack.

"Go ahead, Sheriff. Take a sniff." Jack look uncertainly at Jo and Allison, who looked as unsure as him. Slowly, he leaned forward and inhaled through his nose.

Suddenly, Jack was standing in his grandmother's kitchen. But he couldn't be! She was dead! Yet, there was the all too familiar soft green Formica table. The faded white cabinets where he'd spent countless summers playing hide and seek with his cousins. The light green curtains covered in tiny white daisies, waving lazily in a gentle breeze.

And the smell. He'd never ever be able to forget that smell. Taking another deep breath, a grin split his face. Peach cobbler – his grandmother's specialty. It was so real, he could almost taste the tart, mushy fruit combined with the sweet soft topping…a few scoops of cold vanilla ice cream on the side…

"You like it?" Dr. Hunter's voice said out of nowhere. Jack blinked and was suddenly back at GD. Eyes opened wide and still smiling, he looked back at Dr. Hunter.

"That was incredible!" he said in awe. Jo, still looking unsure, pushed past him and took a sniff of the flower. Her eyes closed and she got a dreamy look on her face.

"Gun powder," she whispered with a smile.

"Gun powder?" Jack asked, causing her to stand back up. She looked at Dr. Hunter with a smile.

"I was at the shooting range, a beautiful summer day. I--."

"No, it was my grandmother's kitchen. Peach cobbler!" Jack insisted. Dr. Hunter held up his hands.

"Dr. Horton developed this flower to trigger happy memories in whoever is smelling it. Obviously, that will be different for each person. He plans on cultivating it to be used in child psychology. Often, children are hesitant to open up when they feel uncomfortable or threatened. This will hopefully elicit happy enough memories to create safe environments for children." Jack's jaw dropped. That was incredible!

"And you don't like this guy's style?" he asked incredulously. Dr. Hunter shook his head.

"I said we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things. I would never _ever_ discredit his work. The man is a genius."

"And are _you_ worried about him, Dr. Hunter?" Allison asked. He looked at Allison and his smile faded.

"I was more worried when he shared about the fight he had with Felicia. Greg loves his wife more than any man I've ever seen – which is saying a lot, since I'm married myself. He is extremely devoted to her and, whenever they have event he slightest disagreement, he's absolutely crushed." Dr. Hunter ran his hand through this short dark hair and let out a loud breath. "But do I think he's disappeared? No. Especially since I assume Felicia is with him. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of it."

"Don't be so sure," Fargo threw in, causing everyone to look at him. He cowered back. Jack looked back at Dr. Hunter.

"Thanks for your time, Dr. Hunter. All the same, we're going to keep investigating. If there's one thing that I've learned in Eureka, it's that 'reasonable explanations' are hard to come by."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Nine**_

Jack sat his desk long past quitting hours. In his hands he had the file Jo had gathered on Dr. Horton. Open on his computer were the records of Dr. Horton's work at GD. Everything seemed perfect. Dr. Horton was a reputable man, well liked by everyone he met. His wife apparently was a bit more high maintenance lot less laid back than him, but no one ever suspected that they were anything but happy.

And then there was the doctor's work. It was like something out of a sci-fi movie. Of course, that shouldn't have been surprising considering where they lived. Dr. Hunter had developed a drug that had the same effects as LSD but without the brain and body damage the typical drug caused. He'd come up with a virtual Garden of Eden device used to tap into the brainwaves of coma patients. Though it was still in the trial phases, there were several recorded cases of coma patients waking up and describing the unbelievably beautiful place that they'd been.

The man seemed like a saint! The only suspicious thing was a locked file titled 'Love Shack.' When Jack first saw it, he figured it was probably an mp3 of the popular B52's song. But it was password protected, which seemed strange.

The door to the office opened and Jack figured Jo must have left something. But, to his surprise, it was Casey Blake.

"Casey!" he greeted, standing up. She was wearing a pair of worn, faded jeans, an orange zippy hooded sweatshirt, and a rainbow colored scarf.

"Hi, Jack. I hope you don't mind me dropping in. I saw Jo at Café Diem and she said you were here."

"Uh, no, not all. Have a seat," he told her, motioning to the chair that sat across from his desk. She sat and he, unable to think of what else to do, sat back at his desk.

""I have to admit, it's kind of nice to have another non-genius around. No offense."

"None taken," Jack laughed. Casey folded her hands in her lap and looked around the office. Jack wondered why she was there. "So…is this a social visit?" She laughed. But not the quite, gentle Allison kind of laugh. It was a loud and warm laugh that totally matched what Jack was assuming to be her loud and warm personality.

"In other words, 'what do you want?'"

"You said it, not me," Jack chuckled.

"Being the newbie to Eureka, I'm assuming you probably don't know anything about me."

"I've heard a thing or two," Jack responded, wondering if he would finally get the dirt on just what had happened nine years ago.

"Well, I'm a writer. Have you ever read anything by Timothy Reece?" Jack sat up straight, his eyes opened wide.

"Are you kidding me? I love his books! Mystery, murder, international espionage. They're great! Do you know him?" Casey smiled.

"I am him." Jack blinked. Twice.

"What?"

"I _am _Timothy Reece. It's my pen name."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope," she laughed again, shaking her short braids.

"I can't believe Allison never told me!" he exclaimed, sitting back in his seat and staring at Casey in awe. Never in a million years did he think he'd meet someone he admired as much as Timothy Reece…and that he would be Allison Blake's little sister.

"Well, I've always asked people who know to keep it low key. Of course, you probably didn't even know she _had_ a sister until I showed up." Apparently, this didn't disturb her since she kept smiling.

"Something like that," Jack said.

"Well, I'm working on a new novel. It's kind of a small town mystery turned national crisis kind of thing. I was hoping I might follow you around for a couple of days, get a picture of what the life of a small town sheriff is like." Jack's eyes opened wide in shock again.

"You're going to put _me_ in a book?" he exclaimed, grinning wildly. She laughed again.

"Something like that. What do you say, Jack? Mind if I tag along for a while?" Jack stared at her for a minute, then said.

"You know, I just can't picture you and Stark together." He figured it would be okay to bring up since she seemed so fine with the topic of her and Allison's estrangement. But her expression went from cheerful to sad in an instant.

"You and everyone else." She shook her head and stood up. "So, I'll come by in the morning? You can get me all caught up on whatever you're doing." Jack was taken aback at how fast she'd changed the subject, but he figured he should let it go. He stood up as well.

"Sure. That would be great."

"All right. And thanks a lot, Jack. I really appreciate it." She waved, then practically skipped through door. Once she was gone, Jack sat back down.

As much as he hated to admit it, he always thought Allison and Stark were perfect for each other. They were both smart. They were both driven and focused. Even when his ex-wife had stopped by Eureka a while back, her first impression of Allison and Stark was that they made the perfect couple.

Casey was just so different than her sister. Forget what Allison has said about not being able to size someone up that quickly. Casey was bright, energetic, fun, lively. It was like, when she entered the room, everything suddenly felt warm and happy. And Stark was…Stark was Stark.

"I just don't see it," he commented to no one in particular.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Ten**_

Allison and Casey sat at the counter of Café Diem, sipping coffee and talking about some of Casey's past travels.

"Fiji is amazing! It's so beautiful. I don't think I've ever been anywhere as green and tropical and exotic." Allison shook her head and smiled. Her sister always was one for adventure.

"I can't even remember the last time I took a vacation," Allison complained. Casey rolled her eyes.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? You just need to force yourself to go! I promise, the world isn't going to come to end just because Allison Blake isn't there for a week."

"This is Eureka we're talking about," Allison smiled, giving Casey a knowing look and causing her to laugh.

"Touché!"

"Plans for today?" Allison asked her. Casey took a sip of her coffee and nodded.

"I'm hanging out with Jack." Allison nearly dropped her cup, but recovered quickly.

"Sorry, you're what?" Casey didn't say anything but just stared at her sister and raised an eyebrow. "I mean, um, that's great." A grin started to grow on Casey's face. "What?"

"Nothing." But that stupid grin remained. Allison brought her cup to her lips to take a drink when the door to the café opened and none other than Carter walked in. Allison nearly dropped her cup again, splashing a few drops of brown coffee on her white silk blouse. She stood up and began dabbing furiously at the quickly spreading stain, but Casey just sat there and laughed.

"I didn't know 'coffee' was in this season," Carter laughed, walking up to the two of them. Allison looked at him and grimaced, sitting back down and throwing her napkin to the side in defeat.

"Oh, Ally has _always_ been ahead of the trends," Casey threw in, delight all over her face.

"Very funny, you two. I have a conference call with the Pentagon this morning. Now I need to go home and change."

"We could give you a ride. Right, partner?" Carter winked at Casey.

"10-4 and copy that," Casey saluted. Allison tried not to look shocked. How could these two already have inside jokes? They'd just met!

"It's fine. I drove," she mumbled, picking up her purse and walking to the door without saying a word to either of them. Carter jogged to catch up with her and stopped her with hand on her elbow.

Allison turned and faced him, hating they way she got goosebumps every time he touched her or was standing this close.

"Allison, are you okay?" he asked, concern creasing his face. She couldn't help but smile. She loved the way he always cared, was always concerned.

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Not getting cold feet, are you?" Carter asked, grinning slyly. Allison looked confused.

"Cold feet about what?" Carter's grin turned into a look of confusion as well.

"Um…your wedding?" Allison hit her palm against her forehead, feeling completely embarrassed.

"The wedding! Right! Um, no, I'm not." Jack didn't look convinced. "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted. I, uh, didn't get my coffee this morning," she joked, pointing at her stained shirt.

"Hey, how come you didn't tell me your sister was Timothy Reece?" Jack whispered, leaning in close and crossing his arms. Allison caught a whiff of his cologne and suddenly felt a little light headed. She took a step back for safety.

"She likes to keep that low key." A thought suddenly dawned on her. "Is that why you guys are spending today together? Research for a book?" Jack leaned back and got that sly grin again. Allison hated when he did that. It drove her crazy in more ways than one.

"What did you think it was? A date?" he chuckled. Allison gave him half a smile, feeling her face heat up. "Were you _jealous_ Allison?" he continued. She could tell he was enjoying her misery way too much.

"Why would I be jealous, Carter?" she retorted, crossing her arm and taking on a defensive position.

"Oh, I don't know." He rocked back and forth on his feet, a cheesy grin still on his face. Allison shook her head, but couldn't help but smile.

"You're so full of yourself. I've got to go." She turned to leave again but Carter grabbed her elbow once more.

"Listen, I've run into a bit of a dead end with this Dr. Horton thing. There's a locked file on his computer. Do you think you could get someone to crack it for me?"

"Sure, I'll get Fargo on it. What's the file."

"Love Shack," Carter smirked. Allison raised her eyebrows.

"Like the song?"

"Don't ask me," he laughed. "I just figure it's worth a look."

"All right. I'll see you later. Keep an eye on Casey for me," Allison told him. He looked back over his shoulder and Allison followed his gaze to her sister, who was sitting at the counter watching them with a smirk.

"I think she can probably take care of herself," Carter replied, turning back to Allison.

"It's not her I'm worried about," she told Carter with a knowing look. Carter laughed, then moved back to the counter.

Climbing into her car, Allison paused to look through the window of the café one more time before starting her engine. Carter and Casey were sitting at the counter, laughing like they were old friends. Carter said something and Casey swatted him playfully on the arm.

She didn't know why she'd never realized it before. Carter and Casey were _so_ much alike. They both loved to laugh, love to have adventures. They were light hearted and caring. They both loved a good beer and sports. In fact, they'd probably be perfect for each other.

"She doesn't need me playing match maker," Allison mumbled to herself as she started the car and drove off. It wasn't like Casey would be around that long anyway.

So why did seeing the two of them together make her feel like she'd been punched in the stomach?


	11. Chapter 11

_**Eleven**_

Jack looked over at Casey riding beside him and couldn't help but smile. Today she was wearing another pair of faded jeans, a tan peasant shirt, and a green sparkly scarf. She had a spiral notebook in her hand and a purple pen stuck behind her ear.

"Are you and Allison close?" Jack asked her, thinking again about how different the sisters seemed. Casey looked over at him and smiled.

"We were best friends growing up. We pretty much invented the term 'close as sisters.'"

"And now?" Casey shrugged.

"We kind of went out different ways. She got married again. Allison's always been the mature one. I've been the crazy and wild one. We couldn't have stayed close forever."

"But you used to live here?" Jack asked. Casey shook her head and laughed.

"Are you trying to get the skinny on me, Jack?" Jack smiled at her, appreciating that she didn't beat around the bush.

"I'm kind of out of the loop, which is all too typical here in Eureka. So, yeah, maybe." Casey looked him up and down, then leaned back against the door and crossed her arms.

"Tell you what – I'll dish about me and Ally if you tell me about _you_ and Ally." Without thinking, Carter slammed on the breaks, causing both of them to lurch forward against their seatbelts. He looked over at Casey and apologized.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Casey laughed that loud, warm laugh of hers.

"Whatever! You think I don't see the way you light up like a Christmas tree whenever you see her? Or the way you put your thumb in your belt loop. I've studied body language enough to know that you are _seriously_ crushing on my sister." Jack stared forward out the windshield, not trusting himself to speak. He wasn't that obvious, was he?

"She is getting married, you know," he told Casey, his voice cracking.

"And?"

"And? And what? That's the end of it. Where are we going, anyway?" he mumbled, reaching for the piece of paper where he'd written down direction to the Horton house.

"So because someone is getting married, you can't have feelings for them?"

"Who said I had feelings for her?" Jack practically shouted, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"You didn't deny it," she smiled. Jack shook his head, thinking he liked Casey more and more by the minute.

The Horton's lived in a large home that looked a lot like the other homes in Eureka…aside from his, that is. When they got to the front door, Jack rang the doorbell.

"Do you think someone is home?" Casey smirked.

"You can't just break into someone's home. As an officer of the law, I have to above reproach." She just laughed, pulling her pen down and making some notes in her notebook.

When no one answered, Jack knocked. Again, no answer. He began searching under the door mat and around the door frame for a spare key. After a moment, Casey joined in the search.

"So, have you and Ally ever talked about it?" Casey asked as she bent and looked under a bush.

"There's nothing to talk about," Jack sighed. _If there was, she never would have agreed to marry Stark_ Jack thought. After Allison had been appointed head of GD, things changed between she and Jack…especially when he found out she lied to him about an experiment she and Stark were working on together. Of course, he had understood that she was doing it for Kevin. But still…to lie to him? To choose Stark?

He'd tried to busy himself by dating other women, but it didn't work. Every time he saw her, every time he thought about her, he realized that he didn't want to be with anyone else. That was pretty problematic since she was getting married in a month.

"I'm just saying that, if you _did_ have feelings for her, you should at least talk to her about it."

"Where is that stupid key?" he mumbled, desperately wanting to talk about something else. Casey tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to face her. A gold key was in her hand and she was smiling.

"I'm just saying," she repeated. He grabbed the key out of her hand and shoved it in the door.

The inside of the Horton house was clean and organized, looking like any other house. Jack would have almost preferred it to be messy or off in some way. Then it would have been easier to find clues. But, as it was, this looked like a normal house that normal people lived in. No evidence whatsoever of where they might be.

"So, what about you, Casey? Why all the drama and mystery surrounding your past?" Jack asked, circulating slowly through the living room, looking at pictures and searching for invisible clues. Casey was in the kitchen and he heard her chuckle.

"It's hardly drama. You know how small towns are – constantly blowing things out of proportion," she called back to him.

"Oh, I know," he laughed, looking at the books on the shelf. Casey joined him in the living room and leaned against the doorway.

"I was with Ally when she moved here. Her first husband had just passed away and she'd requested a transfer out of DC. I'd been living in Chicago at the time and she said she was kind of scared to move across the country on her own, so I came with her. Then…I left." She shrugged.

"Oh, come on!" Jack exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"

"What?" Casey asked, her face looking innocent.

"That's all you're giving me? If that's all there was to the story, there wouldn't be all the mystery. What about Stark?" Casey rolled her eyes and turned to leave the room. Jack sped up and stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"If you get to grill me, I get to grill you," he smiled. She crossed her arms and looked away. Jack move his body so he was in her line of sight again. She glanced at him and smiled.

"If you were this persistent with Ally, she wouldn't be marrying Stark."

"I'm not falling for that changing the subject thing again." Casey sighed and stepped away from him, moving to the hallway. Jack followed her.

"I started dating Stark, like, the week after we moved here." Jack couldn't hide the shock on his face. Casey gave a dry laugh at his expression.

"I know," she continued. "Seems crazy. It _was_ crazy. He was this big bad scientist who never smiled and spent all his time in labs crunching numbers and doing whatever. I was this wild twenty year old who dreamed of writing and living a life of excitement and adventure."

"Not exactly Stark's type," Jack threw in. She nodded.

"That's pretty much what everyone thought." She got a sad, wistful smile on her face. "But it just kind of…worked. There was chemistry there. We actually had a great time together. He was…" she trailed off and shook her head. "It didn't matter, though. Some people aren't meant to be together. He and I weren't. So, I left."

"You guys broke up?"

"I left," she repeated. Suddenly, Jack understood why it was such a big deal that Allison hadn't told Stark Casey was coming. If Casey simply left, that meant that _she'd_ been the one to end it. But then he was with Allison…

"I think I get it," Jack told her, walking around her to open the hall closet and peer inside. "How long until he and Allison got together?"

"Not long," she said, a trace of bitterness in her voice. Jack went to close the closet when she stopped him.

"What?"

"I wrote a book once about a nuclear scientist who goes missing--."

"Phantom Photons," Jack said with a smile. She smiled back.

"You really are a fan!" he blushed slightly, putting his hands in his pockets. "Anyway, in it there was this loose floorboard in the scientist's closet--."

"This isn't a book, Casey," Jack told her. Undeterred, Casey bent down and began running her fingers along the floor of the closet. Jack was just about to tell her to give it up when her finger caught on something. Looking up and giving him and excited smile, she pried a board off the floor.

"No way!" he exclaimed, bending down beside her. Slowly, she removed the board and set it aside. They both squinted their eyes into the dark space.

"Is that what I think it is?" Casey asked in a whisper. Jack shook his head slowly.

"We need to call your sister."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Twelve**_

"It didn't work." Nathan couldn't see anyone, but he knew Henry was there.

"You'll have to be more specific," Henry's voice laughed through the darkness. "I make a lot of things that don't work."

"Casey is here," he stated simply. Henry stepped out into a ray of sunshine that was filtering into the middle of his garage. His was wiping greasy hands on a dirty rag, all traces of joy gone from his face.

"What?" Nathan put his hands in his pockets and stared at his friend. He knew Henry had been locked away in his garage for a few days, obsessively working on something only he knew about. So, he wouldn't have known about Casey. Henry walked over to Nathan and lowered his voice. "Are you serious?"

"You think I'd joke about this?" Nathan retorted, giving Henry a cold look. Henry shook his head, then turned away. "You said I wouldn't remember."

"I told you it might not work!" Henry yelled, facing Nathan once again with an angry look. But Nathan wouldn't be stopped.

"I need you to try again."

"Nathan, I can't--."

"Yes, you can," Nathan insisted. Henry looked hard at him, but Nathan wouldn't back down.

"How much do you remember?" Finally, Nathan looked away, grasping his hands behind his back and pacing slowly.

"It's just bits and pieces, but enough to know that it didn't work like you said it would."

"Nathan, I told you that it was experimental. In fact, I told you I was pretty certain it _wouldn't _work. At least, not the way you wanted it to."

"So we try again." Henry sighed, moving over to a stool he had alongside the wall. Nathan followed him over but remained standing.

"It's not that simple. Memory modification is such a dangerous science. The brain doesn't like being told what it can and can't do."

"I don't care, Henry. Just do it again." Henry held up his hands.

"Nathan, listen to me! I can't just zap you and make all your memories of Casey disappear…especially if they're coming back." Nathan looked at his friend and clenched his jaw. Why didn't Henry get it? He didn't care about the risks. All he knew was that he didn't want to remember anything about Casey Blake other than that she was Allison's sister. He couldn't handle anything else.

"Why didn't it work?" Henry shook his head, then stood up again, taking up the same pacing action that Nathan had just been doing.

"I think the modifier works more like a blanket than a vacuum. It doesn't make the memories disappear. It just kind of covers them…like sweeping dirt under a rug. But I think that, when similar emotions are stirred up, it brings bits and pieces of that memory back again."

"So, we just cover them back up," Nathan told him. Henry stopped pacing and faced Nathan once again, his face sad.

"For how long? I mean, this could be causing brain damage every time we do it. You don't know the lasting effects of--."

"I don't care," Nathan told him, his voice still steady and cold. Nathan prided himself on his poker face. He was a professional at portraying himself as cool, calm, and collected at all times. So, when his hand began shaking as he talked to Henry, he clenched his fist and willed it to stop.

"I care, Nathan. You're my friend," Henry said.

"Then, as my _friend_ you should be willing to do this," Nathan challenged. Henry shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, as though pleading with God for help. Nathan walked over to him and, in a rare display of affection, placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. Henry looked back at him. "Please," Nathan whispered. Henry sighed.

"I don't think it will be as simple as zapping you again," Henry told him. Nathan took a step back and folded his arms.

"What do you mean?"

"It worries me that the memories are coming back. If I simply tried to isolate them, what's to stop more from resurfacing?" Henry took a deep breath, then continued. "I can reverse the modifier, which I think needs to be the first step." Nathan narrowed his blue eyes.

"Reverse? You mean--." Henry nodded.

"Bring _all _the memories back to the surface. Then, we try again from there." Nathan closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face.

All the memories? He was having a hard enough time dealing with the bits and pieces of what had assaulted him since that first night he'd seen Casey.

As soon as she walked into Ally's kitchen, the memory of her leaving hit him like a ton of bricks. It had taken every ounce of strength within him to leave without loosing it in front of her and Allison and Carter.

Over the next two days, more memories had come. He didn't think he could handle any more, let alone all of them. Yet, he knew he couldn't go on like this.

"Do what you have to do," he told Henry with a nod. Henry nodded back, looking both worried and afraid. He left to grab the modifier and Nathan took a seat on one of Henry's benches. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long.

Henry was back five minutes later, the small remote control looking object in his hand.

"Are you sure about this?" Henry asked. Nathan's only response was a small nod. Henry sighed, then held the device up. "This might sting a little…"


	13. Chapter 13

_**Thirteen**_

Nathan Stark was having bad day. He must have done something to make his boss mad because, that morning, he'd been 'assigned' to go to the home of the new Department of Defense liaison and make sure she felt welcomed to Eureka.

"As if I didn't have anything better to do," he'd mumbled to himself in the car, thinking about how he'd _just_ gained Level 5 clearance. He had so much to do!

The house was on the opposite side of town than GD. It was perfect suburbia – manicured lawns, dogs on leashes, kids playing with chalk on the sidewalks. As Nathan drove, he thought about the people who lived there. Who needed a family when you had science? Nathan didn't think he'd ever get married. He was able to work as long and as hard as he wanted without having to worry about anyone else. His life was perfect.

He pulled up to one of the tract houses and stepped out of the car into the sunshine. The first thing that struck him was the loud music blaring through the walls. That seemed odd. The last DOD liaison had been a retired Army General who smiled even less than he did. But this was…was it the Beastie Boys?

Slowly walking to the door, the music got louder. The door was cracked, which Nathan figured was a good thing since she probably wouldn't hear a knock anyway.

The house looked just like houses did when someone was moving in – no pictures on the wall and boxes everywhere. The music was unbelievably loud but, through it, he thought he heard signing coming from what appeared to be the kitchen. _Bad _singing.

She was dancing. Not some gentle tap. Not a little sway. Full bodied flying all over the place dancing. A broom was in her hand and Nathan supposed she was sweeping. But the broom wasn't touching the floor as she danced, using it as a microphone.

Surprisingly, a smile crept to his face. This young woman didn't look old enough to work for the DOD. She looked more like a college student. A strange one at that. Just as the thought hit him, she spun around and froze mid step.

"Um…hello?" she answered, looking only slightly embarrassed.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Nathan told her, smiling even more as he caught a glimpse of her beautiful brown eyes. She straightened up and ran a hand across her short, spiky braids. Moving to the right, she flipped off the music. Then she looked back at him and smiled. Nathan felt his heart stop. It was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

"I'll forgive you if you promise not to tell anyone what you just saw." Nathan made a zipper motion across his lips and she seemed to relax.

"Are you Allison Blake?" he asked. She sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Why do all the hot ones go for my sister?" she asked the ceiling.

"Excuse me?" he laughed. She looked back at him and put her hands adorably on her hips.

"No, Ally isn't here. Yes, I'll give her your number. No, she probably won't call. She's going through a hard time and really isn't in a position to start dating."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nathan chuckled. There was something about this girl. Maybe it was because he'd been locked inside of a lab for the past three years. But there was certainly something about her…something magnetic… "I'm Nathan Stark," he said, walking toward her and holding out his hand.

"Casey Blake," she told him, giving him a small smile.

"I work at Global Dynamics. I was supposed to meet your sister and show her around." Casey slapped her palm against her forehead.

"Right! Sorry, I'm just kind of used to guys falling head over heels for Ally everywhere we go. I figured we'd been here for, like, three hours. It was about time for her first admirer to stop by."

"Well, if she's anything like you, I can see why," Nathan laughed, then stopped. Had he really just said that? But she didn't looked offended or even shocked. She looked flattered.

"Thanks. Can I get you something to drink? Something to eat? All this flirting is making me hungry." Thoughts of work vanished as Nathan smiled back at her.

"Why don't you let me take you out? Grab a bite to eat?"

"How about you add in a tour of the town and make this a proper date?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow as if daring him to say no. Nathan's heart sped up. He'd never met anyone like her. All of the women he knew were geniuses who loved to talk about physics and fusion and theories. Normally, he was fine with that. He didn't have time to be interested in anyone, anyway.

But Casey Blake was different. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to give it a try…just this once…


	14. Chapter 14

_**Fourteen**_

It wasn't a normal date, that's for sure. Nathan couldn't help but smile as he looked over at Casey, amazed that he's just met her and more amazed that he liked her so much.

They'd grabbed a bite to eat at Café Diem. When she found out that she could order anything she wanted, she asked Vincent to create an "Aussie Pizza" – covered half in kangaroo meat and the other half in emu meat. It seemed disgusting, but she ate it with a satisfied grin.

Then, as he'd driven her around, she asked questions that no one in their right mind would ask!

"When is that person's birthday? Do you know if they like fishing? Could I hang Christmas lights on that building this winter? Where is the best place I could hide something for a scavenger hunt?" Nathan prided himself on being inquisitive. He was a scientist, after all. But Casey was curious in such a different way. It was like she looked at the word from a perspective unlike anyone he'd ever met.

Now they were sitting on her couch, boxes still stacked up around them, watching a movie. Well, she was watching the movie. He was watching her.

It was "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" – the old black and white one. She said she'd seen it 100 times but never got sick of it. The lights were turned off, casting an eerie gray glow throughout the room. Casey's bare feet were tucked underneath her. At some point, Nathan had stretched his arm across the back of the couch and soon Casey found her way into the corner created by his arm and body.

He loved the way she smelled. It was like peaches mixed with vanilla and coconut. She felt so warm and perfect there. Nathan couldn't believe that he was enjoying being with someone so much. _Especially_ someone like her.

At one particularly suspenseful point in the movie, the front door opened. Casey screamed and jumped into Nathan's lap. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hello?" a voice called from the doorway. Casey stood up and put her hand on her chest.

"Ally! You scared me to death!" Casey panted. A woman who Nathan assumed to be Casey's sister and, more importantly, the new DOD liaison, came walking into the living room looking not too happy.

"What have you been doing all day? The house is a mess!" Allison's eyes flashed to Nathan, but ended on her sister.

_Now she looks like a DC person_ Nathan thought to himself. Allison Blake couldn't have been any more different than her sister. She was wearing a power suit and had a serious expression that said 'don't mess with me.' In fact, the only thing that seemed to be similar between the two was their eyes.

"Sorry about that. Ally, this is Nathan Stark. He works at GD," Casey said, turning to Nathan and giving him a wink. He tried not to smile as he approached Allison and held out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you," he said formally.

"You too," she said, shaking his hand and still not smiling.

"I was sent over to help acquaint you with things around Eureka," he explained. She crossed her arms and glared at her sister.

"Looks like you got pretty _acquainted_ yourself," she bit out. Casey stepped forward between them.

"Um, Ally? Can we step into the kitchen for a minute?" Allison stormed off, her heels clicking on the wood floor. Casey turned back to Nathan.

"I should go," he told her. But she just smiled and shook her head.

"Are you kidding me? Without a good night kiss?" And, giving him another wink, she disappeared into the kitchen. Nathan ran his hand through his dark hair and let out a loud sigh. What was it with this girl? Was she always so open and honest? There was nothing pretentious about her.

Flipping on a light and sitting back on the couch, Nathan turned his attention back to the movie and did his best to not eavesdrop on the conversation going on in the kitchen.

About ten minutes later, Casey came back out, flipped off the TV, and sat close to him on the couch.

"Sorry about that," she told him, wrinkling up her nose in an adorable way.

"You don't need to apologize. I probably should have made more of an effort to find her anyway." But Casey shook her head.

"It wouldn't have made a difference. This is really hard for Ally and I think she's just having a hard time with being here all together. I mean, her husband just died. She's suddenly a single mom to an autistic little boy. New job. New town. It's just been a lot." Casey put her hand on his knee and he covered it with his own. "Just give her a chance. I'm sure you'll love her." Nathan nodded, thinking how Allison Blake looked like she'd fit right in at GD.

"And how long are you sticking around for?" he asked her. She just shrugged.

"Depends on if there is something to keep me here." Nathan smiled and gazed into those brown eyes that were so full of life and joy. Slowly he leaned in till his face was less than an inch from hers. She didn't close her eyes. Instead, she stared right into his, as if daring him to continue. His heart beating wildly, he just stayed there for a moment.

Was he crazy? He wasn't interested in dating. She was probably too young for him, anyway. He was one of the country's top scientists. She was a hopeful writer who loved crazy adventures. They were as different as night and day. But still, he couldn't deny the way she made him feel.

Closing the gap between them, Nathan kissed her softly on the lips. It was even more amazing than he imagined. The kiss deepened as he reached up his hands to cup her face. She responded by wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He felt like his whole body was on fire and he didn't want that moment to end.

If this was crazy, he didn't want to be sane.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Fifteen**_

Nathan spent the next day with Allison Blake. Though she was considerably calmer than she'd been that first night they'd met, it was obvious she was a real head-strong, go getter kind of woman. Her brown eyes appeared to take in everything around her as Nathan showed her around Eureka and Global Dynamics.

Once he felt like he'd fulfilled his welcoming duties, Nathan made his way to his lab. Henry was already there, large goggles covering his face.

"Morning Henry," he called, pulling on a white lab coat. Henry turned around and pulled his goggles up on his head.

"Really?"

"What?"

"Did you just say 'morning Henry'?"

"Yeah," Nathan laughed, sitting at his computer and pulling up the data he'd been working on the previous day.

"All right, where is Nathan Stark and what have you done with him?"

"What are you talking about?" Henry shook his head and approached Nathan.

"I can't remember the last time you greeted me when you came in. You're usually already lost in your work before you even get started."

"I guess I'm just in a good mood," Nathan grinned from ear to ear. Henry smiled as well, pointing a finger at him.

"Hmm, does this have anything to do with that beautiful woman I saw you with this morning?"

"Allison? No," Nathan said, shaking his head. He peered up at Henry and smiled sheepishly. "It's her sister." Henry threw his head back and laughed, clapping his hands.

"Halleluiah! Nathan Stark isn't a man of stone!" Henry bent down next to him and slapped him on the back. "Welcome to the human race, friend, where men actually _like_ women." Nathan pushed Henry's hand off with a chuckle.

"Don't get carried away here. I just met this girl." Henry stood up and leaned against Nathan's desk, crossing his arms and looking absolutely delighted.

"So, what made her stand out? Because, I've got to tell you, there are sure to be a bunch of broken hearted women around here." Nathan leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head and smiling.

"She's totally different than anyone I've ever met. She's just so…_not_ Eureka. I never in a million years would have thought I'd find that attractive, but I do." Henry nodded.

"And does this mean that the one and only Nathan Stark might start sleeping at home rather than in his lab? Are you actually going to start spending enough time away from work to have a life? I mean, I figured all hope was lost one we got Section 5 clearance--." Nathan jumped up, slapping his palm against his forehead.

"Section 5! I totally forgot!" Henry kept smiling.

"Wow, you really _do_ like this girl."

However, thoughts of Casey temporarily faded from his mind as he and Henry ventured down to the secure area of Section 5. Blue eyes wide, Nathan didn't breath as they walked around, gaining access to the countries most top secret weapons and projects. Allison Blake was with them as well, appearing just as awe struck, though Nathan knew she couldn't have known what it was like to gain access to something you'd dreamed about for so long.

The rest of the day flew by and Nathan suddenly felt torn. There was a lot of buzz about something people referred to as "The Artifact" and Nathan was dying to know more. But Allison invited him over for dinner (to make up for her greeting the night before) and Nathan knew he'd get another opportunity to spend time with Casey.

Casey won out and Nathan left work at the same time as everyone else, going home and changing into something more casual before heading to the Blake home.

Casey must have been busy without him there to distract her because many of the boxes were gone and the house was starting to look more like a home. Allison answered the door and he followed her into the kitchen, where she and Casey had been working side by side preparing something that smelled absolutely delicious.

"Hey you," Casey greeted cheerfully, giving him a big smile when he came in.

"Hey yourself," he said, his heart flipping. Had she gotten more beautiful and more fun in just one day? Was that possible?

Over dinner, Nathan enjoyed watching Casey and Allison interact. Allison's work persona definitely fell away when she was with her sister. The two of them talked and joked like the best of friends and Nathan couldn't help but wonder if maybe Casey brought out the best in everyone she was around.

"You should hear the way people talk about him at work," Allison gossiped, giving Nathan a sly smile. He cocked his head at her.

"Oh, tell me!" Casey insisted, leaning forward with eager eyes.

"They say he's the most brilliant physicist they've had since the days of Albert Einstein," Allison said, not taking her eyes from Nathan. Casey looked at him as well.

"Really?"

"I don't know about all that," Nathan said, though he'd heard it more than once. He didn't want to be Nathan the brilliant scientist around her. He wanted to be just Nathan.

"Oh, yes. They say he sleeps in his office, never smiles, and lives, breaths, and eats science," Allison continued, a delighted grin on her face.

"Are we talking about the same guy here? Because this is sounding more and more like you, Ally," Casey said. They both turned their eyes to her.

"What?" they said simultaneously. Casey looked back and forth between the two of them, holding her hands up.

"Whoa! That's freaky." Nathan shook his head, then turned back to his dinner. Everything that Allison said had been true, but he found himself wishing that it wasn't. When he'd been with Casey the day before, he'd been more relaxed and care-free than he could ever remember. People could change, couldn't they?

"So, which is the real you, Nathan?" Allison asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Nathan looked back at her and matched her expression. Did she not trust him? Was that what this was all about? He glanced back at Casey, who was staring at the two of them with a bemused expression. She gave him a wink and Nathan smiled. He'd just have to show Allison Blake what a great guy he was.

Nathan and Casey did the dishes side by side and Nathan found his toes tingling every time their fingers touched or their arms brushed up against each other. Afterwards, Nathan took Casey to Café Diem for ice cream. People around them were all too obvious with their staring and whispering.

"This is small town life, huh?" Casey asked at one point, licking a drop of ice cream that was dripping down the side of the cone.

"Pretty much," Nathan told her. He didn't want to say that part of the reason people were so interested was because he was with her for the second day in a row which was totally unheard of for Nathan Stark.

"So that stuff that my sister was saying…is all that true?" she asked him, staring hard into his eyes.

"Does it matter?" Casey smiled.

"Good answer."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Sixteen**_

Days changed to months and Nathan felt happier than he could ever imagine – which was saying a lot considering he'd graduated at the top of his class from MIT and he'd been nominated for the Nobel Prize for science. His days were spent in Section 5 working on projects that never ceased to blow his mind.

But every moment he had outside of work, he spent with Casey. He'd never been able to turn off work before – he didn't think it as worth it. But now…now was different.

It seemed strange, even to him, that they would be together. They were complete opposites. But somehow it just worked. Well. Really well. His heart felt light and he would find himself smiling for no reason at all. Suddenly, the world seemed bright and colorful and good.

One spring evening, they'd gone for a twilight picnic just outside of town. His back was against a tree and she had laid her head on his chest as they watched the sun set. It was perfect.

"Stark, do you ever think this is weird?" She'd taken to calling him Stark and he loved it.

"What's weird? The sunset?"

"No," she laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing each of her tan fingers.

"What, then?" he asked, holding her hand in his.

"This. Us. The brilliant scientist and the free spirit."

"Are you complaining?" he chuckled. She sat up and looked him in the eyes. He felt his heart flip.

"No. I've just…heard a lot of things, that's all." His smile melted.

"What do you mean?" She shrugged and looked down at the ground.

"Just how odd it is and how I'm not your type and how it could never work--."

"Who said all that?" Nathan asked, feeling his temperature rise.

"Just people. It doesn't take a genius to see how people stare at us and whisper about us whenever we're together."

"What does that matter?" She shrugged again, then leaned back against his chest.

"It doesn't, not really. It's just…I don't know. Some days it bugs me more than others."

"Do you want me to beat them up?" Nathan smirked. Casey laughed, then lifted up her head and kissed him softly. He loved the way her lips felt.

"How are things going with my sister?" Casey asked.

"Fine. We spend a lot of time together," he answered, running his finger lightly up and down the bare skin of her arm.

"I heard. She really likes you, you know."

"I hope so. I am dating her little sister." Casey laughed and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Actually, I think Ally would probably go after you herself if I weren't in the picture."

"Well, you are and I couldn't be happier," Nathan assured her, kissing her softly on top of the head.

OoOoOoOoOo

"You can't be serious!" Henry exclaimed in an excited whisper.

"Keep it down, Henry. Nobody else knows," Nathan laughed, looking around Section 5 to make sure nobody was listening. Henry leaned in even closer.

"But you've only known her for sixth months! Before that, you thought people who got married were throwing away their lives. And now _you_ are going to get married?"

"Well, she hasn't said yes," Nathan laughed again. Henry shook his head.

"Unbelievable. The man who thinks everything through a hundred times over, the man who only smiles at a hypothetical theory being proven, the man whose best friends are numbers and chemicals, is going to propose."

"I guess I've changed," Nathan smiled, his heart beating fast.

"Did you talk to Allison about it?"

"Not yet. I asked if I could come over tonight and talk just the two of us. She seems to like me well enough, so hopefully there won't be any problems." Henry clapped his friend on the back.

"Well, call me and let me know how it goes."

OoOoOoOoOo

Nathan was sitting on Allison Blake's couch, feeling more nervous than ever. Allison was upstairs, putting her son, Kevin, to bed. Nathan was sitting stiffly, tapping his right foot rapidly against the floor.

When she came back down, Nathan felt like was going to be sick. She sat beside him with a sniff and Nathan looked over to see that she was crying.

"Ally? Is something wrong?" he asked. She closed her eyes and held up a hand, but the tears wouldn't stop.

"H-He just doesn't understand. He doesn't understand that daddy isn't coming back." Allison began sobbing and, not knowing what else to do, Nathan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She leaned in against him and continued to cry.

"When will it stop?" she cried into his chest. "When the pain and the hurting stop?" Nathan rubbed her back.

"It will be okay, Ally. He just needs time. Both of you do." He continued rubbing her back, thinking that this couldn't have been worse timing.

She just sat there and cried for another five minutes and Nathan held her, his nervousness transforming into compassion for Allison and her son and their loss. Finally, she pulled back slightly and wiped her damp cheeks.

"Sorry, Nathan," she chuckled sadly. "I'm sure you didn't come over here to have me cry all over you."

"That's okay," he smiled. She looked up in his eyes and gave him a soft smile. Before Nathan knew what was happening, she leaned forward and kissed him. Nathan was frozen both in shock and fear. But, when her arms started to wrap around his neck, he pulled back quickly, his eyes wide.

Her brown eyes started to fill with tears again and she covered her face.

"I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry," she cried. "I don't know what just came over me!" Nathan stood up, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He was sure Allison didn't mean anything by it. She was just upset and he was comforting her. But her timing couldn't have been worse.

"I should go," he told her. She looked up and gave him a sad nod. Nathan didn't wait for her to show him out.

OoOoOoOoOo

The note was waiting for him when he arrived at the Blake home the next night. Allison handed it to him without a word, then left him in the doorway to read it alone. It was short and in Casey's familiar writing.

_Nathan, we both know it wasn't meant to last. Sometimes, people are just too different. –Casey_

This was what it meant to have your heart broken. Nathan felt like he'd been stabbed in the chest. He looked up and saw Allison sitting on the foot of the stairs, staring at him. He shook his head, not believing that it was true. But she just nodded, then looked down at the ground.

"Is she..?"

"She left in the middle of the night," Allison sighed sadly.

What had happened? What had changed? How could she do this to them? To him? Was he an idiot, thinking she cared as much as he did? Nathan crumpled the note in his hand and rushed back to his car.

Slamming the door he started driving, not sure where he was going. He ended up at Global Dynamics, his hurt and sadness transformed into a burning anger. How could he have been so stupid? So emotional?

Entering his ID and password on the keypad at the door, Nathan entered the dark GD building and headed straight for Section 5. He need a distraction. He needed to work.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** I just remembered that Henry destroyed the memory modifier at the beginning of Season 2! So, I threw a line in this chapter to ratify that little mistake 

_**Seventeen**_

Head pounding, Nathan grabbed fistfuls of his black hair as he willed the pain to stop.

"Hurry up, Henry," he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Nathan. I told you, this is still experimental and recalibration isn't easy."

Nathan didn't want to hear it. He didn't know which hurt worse – his head or his heart. All the memories had come flooding back, along with all the emotions he'd run from the first time around. Her eyes. Her smile. Her laugh. The way his heart sped up when they were together. The way he felt like he'd died when she'd left.

"Henry!" he yelled, feeling devastated and furious all at the same time.

"I'm trying, Nathan," Henry yelled back. Sparks of light flashed across his eyes as pain shot through his head. His pulse was roaring in his ears and he clenched his jaw, willing the pain to go away. Willing the memories to go away.

"I'll do it," Nathan growled, standing up and grasping for the memory modification device from Henry.

"I got it. Don't touch it!" Henry argued, pulling it back. But Nathan wouldn't be stopped. He had to take care of this _now. _He grabbed again and the remote fell from both of their hands, landing with a crash on the floor and breaking into a hundred pieces.

Eyes wide in horror, Nathan fell to the floor and began scooping up the pieces.

"Nathan, stop. There's no use," Henry said. But Nathan tuned him out. As fast as his hands would move, he picked up the pieces. He had to fix it. He just had to. Henry couldn't understand. Nobody could.

"Nathan," Henry called again. He bent down so he was on the floor with his friend. When Henry put his hand on Nathan's shoulder, Nathan's hand slowed. His was breathing hard.

"Nathan," Henry said softly. Nathan finally looked his friend in the eye. "I'll fix it. I promise." Nathan looked at Henry, trying to calm down.

"Are you sure you can?"

"Trust me…I've already done it once" Henry smirked. Nathan just nodded and stood up slowly, wiping his now dirty hands on his pants. He needed to get to work anyway.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Allison, we found something." Allison looked up as Carter came rushing into her office. Her smile melted away when she saw the serious look on his face.

"Carter, what's wrong?" He shook his head and handed her a manila envelope. Taking it from him, Allison opened it. Inside were several pictures.

"Oh my," she gasped as she fanned through them. Each one was a picture of Dr. Greg Horton with his arms around a beautiful smiling woman – each picture a _different_ woman.

"Looks like our love struck doc wasn't as faithful as he led his co-workers to believe."

"What do you think this means?" Allison asked, looking away from the confusing and slightly disturbing photos to Carter.

"Do we have any idea what he and his wife were arguing about before they disappeared?"

"Dr. Hunter said he wasn't sure, just that Dr. Horton seemed depressed and upset because he'd had a fight with his wife." Allison watched as Carter closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Well, this definitely makes things a little more suspicious," Carter sighed.

"Wait – who is the suspect here? Dr. Horton or his wife?" Allison asked.

"Who knows? We've got a missing Dr. and his wife who were supposedly head over heels in love, then we find these photos that say Dr. Horton might not be all that he pretended to be. Did you get that file open yet?" This time, Allison closed her eyes and rubbed her hand over her face.

"Sorry, Carter. I totally blanked. I've been swamped." Carter gave her a smile.

"I'm sure. I didn't exactly make it seem dire, did I?" Allison smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks for understanding." He just nodded and stared at her, that lazy smile still on his face. As Allison stared into his blue eyes, she felt her heart speed up. It drove her crazy how she felt around him. He was immature and unpredictable, but she'd come to love that about him. He was thoughtful, considerate, and so…hot!

Carter cleared his throat and Allison shook her head, telling herself to stop acting like a teenager. She was engaged, after all…and _not_ to Jack Carter.

"I had a great time with your sister, by the way." Allison just nodded, thinking he couldn't have said anything worse at that moment. "You guys are so…different," he chuckled.

"We get that a lot," Allison said, making herself smile. Truth be told, she'd always thought Casey was incredibly immature and unpredictable. Kind of like…

"Would you call me as soon as you get into that file? I found a random map along with these pictures. It had a little black dot located on the outskirts of town. I actually wouldn't have found it if Casey weren't there. Anyway, we're going to drive out and see what's there." Allison nodded again, crossing her arms, trying not to picture Carter and her sister going off on a long romantic drive to the woods.

"I'll call as soon as I have anything," she told him.

OoOoOoOoOo

Nathan stormed into Global Dynamics, intent on immersing himself in work to the point that he was thinking about nothing else. Unfortunately as soon as he walked in, he came face to face with the person he wanted to see least in the world.

"Hey, Stark," Casey smiled. He stopped and just stared at her, fighting the urge to run.

"Casey," he said smoothly and without a smile. She took a few steps toward him and Nathan swallowed a lump that had risen up in his throat.

"I barely got to see you the other night. How are you doing?" she asked, as though nothing were wrong. _Nothing _is_ wrong_, he told himself.

"I'm fine. And you?" She laughed and Nathan continued to fight the emotions he was trying so hard to keep in check.

"I'm good, thanks for asking." She paused and her smile wavered a little. "Congratulations on getting married…again."

"Thanks. What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding more harsh than he intended.

"You mean in Eureka? I--."

"No. Here at Global."

"I'm waiting for Jack."

"Carter?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah. We just stopped by so he could talk to Ally about something."

"Stopped by? What, are you on a date or something?" he asked incredulously. She looked confused.

"No. And, if I was, what would it matter to you?" Nathan crossed his arms and she mirrored the movement. He let out a dry laugh.

"It wouldn't."

"Good." They were standing there, glaring at each other, when Carter came up.

"Hey – what's going on?" Carter asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Nothing," they answered simultaneously, not taking their eyes off each other. Finally, Casey turned to Carter.

"Come on, Jack, let's go." She threw Nathan another dirty look before rushing out of GD. Carter turned to Nathan and raised his eyebrows, as if asking what happened. But Nathan just glared at him as well.

"Watch yourself, Carter," Nathan growled, unable to hide the jealousy that had risen up. Carter gave Nathan a smug look that made his blood boil.

"Come now, Stark…you can't hog all the Blake women yourself." Without thinking and overcome with rage, Nathan flung himself forward, ramming into Jack and knocking him on the ground. Jack was totally taken by surprise. Nathan lunged, his fists cocked, ready to hurt Carter, when four strong arms grabbed him from behind.

"Dr. Stark!" one of the security officers yelled as he restrained Nathan. Nathan relaxed, trying to show them that he was done, but he continued to glare at Carter, his teeth clenched. Carter stood up and rushed toward Nathan. One of the guards held up his hand, warning him to stop.

"I've got to go, anyway. Someone is waiting for me," he whispered menacingly to Nathan. Nathan watched him leave, seething. Once he was gone, he shrugged the officer's arms off of him. There were a few employees standing there, frozen, shock evident on their faces. Nathan threw them all heated looks, then went off to find Allison.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Eighteen**_

Teeth clenched, pulse racing, and blood pounding in his ears, Jack raced off to the outskirts of Eureka. He was so angry, he didn't trust himself to speak. It seemed like Casey was in the same boat since she hadn't said a word after leaving GD and just sat in the car, staring out the window.

As they got further and further out of town, Jack tried to appreciate the Pacific Northwest beauty like he always did when he went that way. But even the clean air and majestic trees couldn't do anything to improve his mood.

"Turn here," Casey mumbled, glancing down at the map in her lap. Jack looked out the front window.

"But there's no road."

"I'm just following the map and it says turn right here." Jack obeyed, though he didn't exactly relish in the idea of driving out onto unmarked roads in the middle of no where.

The path they began to follow looked as though it had only been traveled a handful of times. His cruiser bounced and jerked over rocks, bushes and sticks, adding more negative feelings to his already negative mood.

After about a mile, he called out to Casey over the noise, "How much farther?"

"Just a bit. Then we go left for about half a mile and we should be there."

"Great," he bit out, hitting a particularly large rock.

After what felt like an hour of that torture, they arrived at a small clearing in the woods. Jack gratefully turned off the engine and hopped out of the car, bending over to stretch his back.

"I think my butt is asleep," Casey laughed lightly. Jack stood up straight and looked around.

"I don't get it," he said after a few seconds of observation. "There's nothing here." Casey joined him in looking around. They were surrounded by tall trees, a light breeze causing the tops to sway. Directly in front of them was a small clearing, filled with light green grass.

"Why would this be marked on a map? And what does it have to do with the pictures?" Casey thought out loud. Jack shook his head and began walking slowly forward.

_BANG!_ Jack stumbled backwards, pain shooting across his head. "Ouch!" he screamed, covering his head and closing his eyes. Casey was by his side in an instant.

"Jack, are you okay?" she asked, bending down beside him. Jack rubbed his head furiously, looking in front of him. What had he hit? It was an empty field! Standing up and walking forward with his hands outstretched, Jack figured there must be something there that he couldn't see. This was, after all, Eureka.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Casey asked, walking behind him. Jack simply took baby steps forward, grasping the air, until his hands finally came in contact with something hard and large.

"There's something here," he smiled at Casey, his hands moving across the invisible object. Casey gave him a doubtful look, but stepped up beside him and put her hands there as well. Instantly, the air began to shimmer. They both pulled their hands back in surprise as a cabin materialized out of nowhere.

"Whoa," Casey breathed, her eyes wide. The invisible cabin came into focus and they took another step back. It wasn't big. It wasn't fancy. It looked like a regular old cabin with log walls, a few windows, and a porch.

"Why would this be hidden?" Jack mused aloud. Casey looked at him with a smile.

"Let's go inside!" Jack shook his head.

"I should call Jo. She should really be here. We don't know what's in there." Casey rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Jack. Where's your sense of adventure? What's the worst that could be in there?"

"Um, Casey? This is Eureka we're talking about." She just laughed and started up the steps. "Seriously. Let me at least call Jo and tell her where we're at." Casey turned around and put her hands on her hips, cocking her head and looking annoyed. Jack couldn't help but smile. It looked like something Allison would do.

"Fine," she sighed. Jack pulled out his phone and began to dial when he noticed he didn't have any bars.

"Crap. I don't have a signal. How about you?" Casey pulled out her phone, glanced at it, and shook her head no.

"Guess we'll just have to go in," she commented, looking happy.

"At least let me go first," Jack said, taking the few steps two at a time to join her on the porch. Jack knocked, but there was no answer. "Dr. Horton? Mrs. Horton?" he called. Still no answer. He looked over at Casey and shrugged.

"Are you going to pull out your gun now?" Casey asked, looking excited and eager.

"Are you going to put this in your book?" Jack asked, looking just as excited and eager.

"I guess it all depends on how things turn out. Maybe there's a serial killer inside with a hostage and a doomsday device." Jack's eyes got even wider until he realized Casey was trying not to laugh.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Jack, just go inside." Jack put his hand on the door and slowly turned the knob. It opened without a problem.

"Guess they don't believe in locks."

"Or they have some super security system that you'd have to be an idiot to try and get past." Jack gave Casey a dirty look before opening the door all they way.

The inside of the cabin did _not_ match the rustic outside. Inside looked like something out of an Eddie Bower catalogue. There was a soft, brown suede couch in front of a roaring fire, complete with bearskin rug. There were candles everywhere and the air smelled of roses. A small kitchen lay off to the side, a bottle of champagne on ice with two glasses on the counter. A closed door on the other side of the fire place led to what Jack assumed was the bedroom.

"Oh my gosh," Casey gasped, stepping further inside. "This place is beautiful."

"I wonder why they didn't answer the door?" Jack said. Casey looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding? Obviously they don't want to be disturbed." Jack thought about that for a minute, and then it clicked.

"Great, I feel like a jerk. Let's get out of here. Maybe we can come back later." Jack and Casey turned to leave at the same time and both froze. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Finally, Casey stammered in a frightened whisper,

"Jack…where's the door?"


	19. Chapter 19

_**Nineteen**_

_I hate living in a town of geniuses_ Allison thought bitterly, rubbing her head as the wedding coordinator droned on.

"I have the most _wonderful_ digital projection device. We can have your wedding set on the beach, in a castle…why, just last month I had a couple get married on the moon! Oh, it was spectacular. I even had this wonderful anti-gravity device and the bride bounced down the aisle!"

"What about a church?" Allison sighed, the plump woman's southern accent sounding way too sweet for how awful she was feeling.

"Sure, honey! What church? I've got everything from Roman and Greek to - ."

"Just a church! A plain, regular church!" Allison yelled, holding her hand up. The woman sat back in shock.

"Well, who wants _that_ anymore." Allison wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. She wanted to run away and never look back.

"Listen, we should probably reschedule. This is really something Nathan and I should be deciding together." Allison glanced down at her watch. "I don't know where he is."

"Oh, I saw him when I came in. And, boy, was that man _mad._ He just hit poor Sheriff Carter and the man went flying like a bat out of hell." Allison stopped rubbing her temple and stared at the coordinator.

"What did you say?"

"I saw it with my own two eyes. Dr. Stark was talking to some pretty young lady – she kind of reminds me of you, actually – and then the Sheriff came up and the girl left and Nathan just hit him." Allison was on her feet, buzzing Fargo.

"Fargo, where's Dr. Stark?"

"He's in the Psych Department, working on unlocking Dr. Horton's files. I told him I would do it, but he said he wanted something to keep him busy." Allison clicked off and rushed to the door of her office.

"Sorry, we'll have to do this another time."

"Why I never!" Allison heard the woman exclaim as she flew out the door.

In the Psychology lab, Allison found Nathan alone, sitting at a computer in the corner.

"What is your problem?" she yelled at him, storming over to where he was seated. He glanced up briefly, then turned his attention back to the computer.

"Good to see you too."

"Why did you hit Carter?"

"He deserved it," Nathan replied, narrowing his eyes as he concentrated on the monitor.

"Right, I'm so sure," she sarcastically replied, putting her hands on her hips. "What did you say to him?" Nathan looked up at her and leaned back in his seat, his expression emotionless.

"And what makes you think it was something _I_ said?"

"Because I had just been talking to him. He and Casey --." But Allison stopped, realization dawning. Nathan gave his attention back to the computer. "So, that's what this is about," she said, sounding sad.

"I don't know what you mean," he mumbled, typing rapidly on the computer. Allison closed her eyes.

"Why are we doing this? Nathan, why --."

"I've got it," he said, leaning closer to the computer. "I'm into the files." Allison shook her head, figuring the disappearance of the Hortons took precedence over her relationship issues. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to read what he was reading. They stood in silence for a few minutes. Allison was the first to speak.

"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing." Nathan smirked.

"It looks like the love doctor was really living up to his reputation."

"But…how?"

"According to this data, Dr. Horton built a device that is supposed to reconcile marriages. From what I see, it's a cabin that creates a romantic environment, meant to draw two people together. It seals them inside until they…reconcile." Allison stood up straight and raised her eyebrows.

"Reconcile? As in--."

"That information isn't exactly clear. It looks like the cabin is able to read different vitals of the two people to determine when they're truly unified again." Nathan looked at Allison and gave her a sly grin. "That's why it's called the 'Love Shack.'" Allison shook her head.

"Unbelievable." Then she remembered something. "The pictures! That must have been what the pictures were all about! Carter found a stack of photos of Dr. Horton with other women. Maybe he was testing things out to see what happened when he was in there with women who _weren't_ his wife."

"Sounds like a fun job," Nathan smiled. Allison slapped him on the arm.

"Locking two people in a room until they 'reconcile.' Interesting idea." Another thought hit Allison and she gasped. "Oh my God! Carter and Casey!" Nathan looked at Allison with a frown. "T-They found a map! Leading out to the middle of nowhere! They were going to investigate!"

"What?" Nathan stated in a growl.

"You don't think they…that they won't be able to get out unless they…" Allison looked at Nathan with a horrified expression. As good as he was at hiding his emotion, he couldn't mask the anger that rose up.

"Where are they?" he demanded.

"I don't know! It was just a random map. We'd never be able to drive out and--." Nathan held up a hand and turned his attention back to the computer. After a few clicks, he stood up.

"The first file was just a couple of numbers. I thought it was nothing, but maybe it's a GPS location."

"Let's go," Allison said, turning and hurrying out the door. Nathan was right behind her. They rushed out to the GD parking lot and climbed into Nathan's car. "I hope we're not too late," Allison mumbled, wringing her hands together. Nathan said nothing but she could see his hands tighten on the wheel.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** **Sorry it's been a while. No excuses. Just life. I changed the rating to T strictly because of cough hints at certain cough subject matters. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you keep reading!**

_**Twenty**_

"There has to be another way out," Casey gasped, her hands roaming along the wall where the door was supposed to be. Jack's hands were carefully fingering the edges of one of the windows that wouldn't open. Nothing.

"This is crazy!" Jack yelled, hitting the glass hard with his fists. An electric jolt shot through his body, lifting him off the floor and sending him flying backwards. Casey was by his side in an instant.

"Jack, are you okay?"

"Fine," he wheezed, hitting himself on the chest to make sure his heart was still beating. "I don't think we can get out through the windows." He stood up slowly and Casey helped him over to the couch. She then ran over to the bedroom and flung open the door. Stepping inside for just a moment, she came back out with a dejected look.

"No one there. No way out."

"Why would anyone want to lock themselves in a place like this?" Jack thought out loud as Casey flopped down on the couch beside him.

"There's a sweet hot tub in the bathroom."

"Great. I'll be able to boil you real good when I have to resort to cannibalism in order to survive," he grumbled. Casey laughed, then rubbed his back.

"Come on, Jack. Someone is bound to notice that we're missing. They'll come and find us."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure we're in the middle of nowhere and nobody knows where we are." Casey's smile disappeared.

"You didn't tell Ally where we were going?"

"_I_ didn't even know where we were going! We were just following a hunch! You should have let me call for backup!" Jack accused, standing up and throwing his arms in the air.

"I _did_ let you, remember? No signal?" Jack sat back down, frowning. They were both silent, staring blankly into the fire.

"This really _would_ make for a great twist in a book," Casey finally smiled. Jack smiled despite himself.

"And how would it get resolved?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Well, first off, it wouldn't be two people like us. It would have to be two people with some kind of romantic tension between them. Kind of like--."

"Don't go there," Jack warned, holding up a finger, causing Casey to laugh.

"Okay, I'll give them different names. How about…Jack and Sally?"

"Or Nathan and Stacy," Jack retorted.

"Low blow, Sheriff."

"Come on, Casey. If there wasn't any 'tension' between the two of you, you guys wouldn't get so upset at each other."

"If that's the test of tension, then you and Stark must be in love." Jack groaned at that and Casey stood up, a satisfied smile on her face. She walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Even the food is weird. Chocolate covered strawberries? Grapes? And…are these oysters?"

"You know what they say about oysters," Jack said, standing up and joining her in the kitchen. Casey slammed the fridge shut and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Jack! Oh my gosh! I think I know what this place is!" Jack stood, waiting for her revelation. But, instead of talking, she ran back to the bedroom. "Come here!"

The bedroom looked like something that would be in a five-star hotel. The king size poster bed was draped in royal purple silk and plush pillows. There was another roaring fire with a bear skin rug lying in front. The walls were decorate with black and white Greek style silhouettes of lovers in each other's arms.

When Jack entered, Casey was sitting on the bed. "Sit down," she said, her wide eyes excited.

"I don't do this on a first date," he joked. She just rolled her eyes.

"Seriously. Just trust me." Jack sighed and complied, sitting beside her.

"What now?" he asked, looking over at her. She bit her lip, then leapt up and ran back out to the living room. "Casey, what are you doing?" he called after her.

"Dag nabbit!" he heard her yell. A moment later, she came sulking back in, her shoulders slumped.

"I hope you aren't getting cabin fever already because we may be here a while."

"I had a hunch," she said, sitting back down beside him. "This place seems awfully romantic, don't you think?"

"Sure," Jack agreed, leaning away from her slightly. He hoped she wasn't getting any ideas.

"I just thought maybe Dr. Horton arranged it as some kind of – I don't know, some kind of--."

"Love Shack?" Jack offered, remembering the mysterious file on the computer.

"Exactly. Maybe it was for him and his wife to get away or something. The cabin didn't appear until we both put our hands on it. I thought maybe if we both sat on the bed--."

"The cabin would think we'd--."

"Exactly." Jack nodded, a smile creeping across his face.

"Smart doc."

"Except it didn't work," Casey said, looking discouraged.

"You've got to be on the right track, though. I mean, given what we know about the doc, those weird pictures we found, and everything else about this crazy place. Why else would you design something that would lock you inside? And how the heck can we get out."

Casey covered her face and laid back on the bed. "I just can't believe this. I finally get up the courage to come back to this stupid town and now I'm locked in a cabin with no way to get out." Suddenly, she sat back up, her face turning red. "This is all _his_ fault."

"Whose fault?"

"Stark! I mean, if he hadn't…ugh! He just makes me so mad!"

"Join the club."

"When I just think about when I saw them kissing--."

"Wait, what?" Jack asked, suddenly confused. But Casey just shook her head, lost in her own angry memory.

"He could have just told me he was interested in her! But no! They had to go sneaking behind my back. Oh, yeah, let's spare Casey's feelings. Poor dumb Casey isn't a genius like the rest of us!"

"Casey, I think you're getting a little worked up."

"Did they _really_ expect me to go to their wedding? Seriously! I mean, the only reason I'm here this time is to show him I'm over him…which I am! And then he has the nerve to act like he has some right to tell me who I can and can't date! Who does he think he is?"

"We can Stark bash later," Jack interrupted. "Do you hear something?"

"And to think, I thought I was going to marry that son of a—"

"Casey! Shut up a second!" Jack yelled over her. She stopped talking and gave him a mad look. But Jack was staring up at the ceiling. At some point during her angry tirade, soft music had begun piping through the room. Her features calmed down as she noticed the music as well.

"I know this. It's…it's John Coltrane."

"Who?"

"A jazz musician. This is from Coltrane For Lovers." Before Jack could ask her another question, a soft hiss began to fill the room as well.

"I don't think that's part of the song," Jack said. Casey shook her head, then began to yawn.

"I'm so tired all of a sudden," she yawned again.

"This can't be good," Jack commented, yawning himself. Casey yawned again, then fell backwards with her eyes closed. "Oh crap," Jack mumbled as his eyes slid shut.


	21. Chapter 21

One

**A/N:** I had no idea when I started this it would become this long. But, hang in there! We're getting to the end and I hope you are still enjoying!

_**Twenty-One**_

The drive to the cabin was painfully silent and painfully bumpy. Nathan drove faster than he should have, unable to get the picture of Casey and Carter together out of his mind. Gripping the wheel and clenching his teeth, he sped as fast as his car would allow him on the rocky road through the dark woods.

Allison wasn't much company. She didn't know what bothered her more – the idea of Carter and Casey together, or how Stark was acting like a mad man to get to them. Confused, she silently mulled over her thoughts, pierced by the occasional desperate prayer that Nathan wouldn't fly off the road and into a tree.

Suddenly, Nathan's headlights flashed on something that reflected back. He finally slowed down, narrowing his eyes to try and see what was in front of them.

"I think we're here," he said, pulling up behind Carter's police cruiser. They parked and got out quickly.

"We're where? There's nothing here!" Allison exclaimed, sounding frustrated. Nathan scratched his head and looked around. The moonlight shining through the trees illuminated more trees and a clearing.

"This doesn't make any sense," he said to himself.

"Casey! Carter!" Allison yelled, walking forward and looking around. "Casey? Where are—ow!!"

Nathan looked over and saw a silhouette of Allison sprawled on her back, rubbing her head. "What happened?" he asked, running over to help her up.

"I hit something," she moaned, still rubbing her head. Nathan looked up and reached his hands out in front of him.

"The cabin must be camouflaged."

"Glad you figured that out _now_."

His hands touched something hard and he stood up, moving them along the rough invisible surface.

"You should try being a mime. You're pretty good at this," Allison joked.

"Funny. There's got to be some sort of deactivation switch around here somewhere. Why don't you help me?"

"Fine," she sighed, stepping up to the cabin and placing her hands on it. As soon as she did, the air began to shimmer and a dark object was suddenly looming in front of them.

"Smart man," Stark muttered to himself, unable to hide a small smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't get in unless there's two of you," Stark explained as he rushed over to the porch. "Keeps out surprise intruders."

Allison was right behind him and they entered at the same time, pausing in the open doorway. The cabin was obviously built for romance, that much they could tell right off the bat. But Casey and Carter were nowhere to be seen.

"This place is really something," Allison chuckled.

"Something creepy," Nathan replied.

"Should we go inside?" Allison asked, feeling like she stepped into a combination of the Love Boat and The Twilight Zone. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, they heard a groan come from behind a closed door.

Nathan's eyes grew wide as saucers. His face turning red, he stormed toward the door.

"Nathan, wait!" Allison called, hurrying behind him and letting the door shut.

OoOoOoOoOo

Jack was confused and disoriented. Where was he? What happened? As he struggled to open his eyes, he thought he heard voices. Allison's voice to be specific.

_Nothing new there_ he thought to himself. He dreamt about her all the time. But her voice was followed by Starks, which would have made it more of a nightmare. Turning on his side, Jack noticed someone else lying there. It wasn't…was it?

Feeling suddenly dizzy, Carter let out a soft groan. Immediately after, angry footsteps came storming toward the room he was in. The door flew open and the next thing Jack knew, Stark had grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him in the air.

"You're dead meat, Carter," Nathan hissed more than yelled right in Jack's face. He didn't think he'd ever seen the man so angry. He tried to fight back, but he still felt so sleepy.

"Nathan, stop it!" Allison cried from behind him.

"Allison?" Jack mumbled, things coming slowly back into focus. He put his hands on top of Nathan's and tried to pry them loose, but the other man was much stronger than him.

"I never did like you," Nathan growled. "And out here, no one can hear you scream." Thoughts came flying to Jack's head. Screaming. Yelling. Nathan. Casey.

Jack's eyes grew wide as he looked back at Allison. "You didn't shut the door, did you?"

"What?" Allison asked.

"What?" Nathan echoed. Understanding dawned on Nathan's face and he dropped Jack like a sack of potatoes. Turning, he faced Allison.

"Ally?"

She shook her head, and looked back behind her. "Oh my God! Where did the door go?"

Jack groaned as he laid back on the bed and covered his face. Just then, Casey began to stir. Jack glanced up at Nathan and noticed the man's face a mix of anger and concern, his hands fisted by his sides. Allison rushed over to Casey.

"Ally? What are you doing here? What's going on?" Casey mumbled.

"You slept with Carter?" Allison whispered to her sister, looking scared. That seemed to wake Casey up.

"I _what?_" Casey looked over at Jack, totally shocked.

Jack held his hands up defensively, "We didn't do anything! Remember? You were yelling and then there was music?"

"Is that true?" Nathan asked in a quiet voice. Casey looked up at Nathan and narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you here?" Nathan's response was to crack his knuckles and leave the room.

"I think instead of arguing, we need to figure a way out of here," Nathan told the ladies. Casey shook her head.

"Carter, can you give us a minute?" Allison asked Jack, putting her arm around her sister's shoulders.

"You want me to go out there with Stark? Didn't you hear what he said?"

"Don't tell me you're scared of him, Carter. I thought you were manlier than that," Allison said with a smirk.

"I'm not scared," Carter said, standing up. "I just…don't want to have to break out all those self-defense moves they taught us at the academy."

"Carter, it will be fine. You know he's not going to do anything."

"If he does," Jack said, walking slowly to the door, "promise me you won't leave my body behind in this crazy cabin?"

Jack walked out to the living room, Allison's tinkling laugh behind him. He shut the door, noticing Stark sitting on the couch staring into the fire, his face blank.

Though Stark was usually the last person in the world he wanted to be around, Jack didn't see any other option than to go and sit next to him. So he moved to the couch and sat as far away from Stark as possible.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, staring into the fire. Finally, Jack spoke up.

"So, you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Jack paused. "You wanna talk about something else?"

"No."

He paused again. "Do you still want to hurt me?"

"More than ever."

"Can I ask you something?'

"No."

Jack decided he would anyway. "Why did you get so mad in there? I mean, I know what you walked in was a little incriminating, but I don't get why--"

"Shut up, Carter."

"We're going to be here a while, Stark. Maybe you should learn to play nice," Jack smiled over at him. The look Nathan gave him made him smile even more.

Turning back to the fire, he closed his eyes and tried to figure out how in the heck they were going to get out of there.


	22. Chapter 22

One

**A/N:** I humbly ask your forgiveness, dear readers, for being so long in updating. I am ashamed, appalled, and feel super duper bad. I think there are only 2 or 3 chapters to go, so it shouldn't be long now! Thanks for hanging in there!

_**Twenty-Two**_

"What happened, Casey?" Allison asked her sister once Carter and Nathan had left.

"I don't really remember. I had this theory about how we could get out of here." At that, Allison paled as her eyes opened wide but Casey didn't notice. "We came in here, but it didn't work. Then we started fighting, then this music started playing…then you were here."

"Y-You came in here to--"

"I can't believe you shut the door," Casey groaned, flopping back on the couch, covering her face with her hands.

Allison frowned. "Forgive me for being worried about my little sister." Casey chuckled dryly, causing Allison's frown to deepen. "What's so funny?"

Parting her fingers so she could see her sister, Casey smiled. "I wrestled a crocodile last year, Ally."

"What?"

Sitting up, Casey continued. "I wrestled and Alligator. I hiked across New Zealand. I hiked Kilimanjaro. And you're worried about me _now?_"

"Well, if I had known you were doing those things--"

"You would have asked me to send you a postcard." Casey smiled again and Allison felt her face heating up. "You were worried for another reason."

"For your information, I wasn't the one racing over here like a bat out of hell."

Casey's smile melted and her eyes grew dark. "I don't care. Let's just figure out how the heck to get out of here."

OoOoOoOoOo

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Jack asked Nathan, staring at the door.

"Don't know. Don't care," came the monotone reply.

"Oh, come on Stark," Jack said, smiling at the brooding man. "You mean you aren't just a little bit curious?" When Nathan didn't reply, Jack continued. "I mean, I would be if I were in your shoes. You're fiancé, your ex-girlfriend--"

"You're sticking your nose somewhere it doesn't belong," Nathan growled.

"What? You think Casey didn't tell me anything? I mean, we went in that bedroom and--"

Before Jack could finished, Nathan flew across the couch and grabbed Jack's collar. Leaning in close enough that Jack could feel his warm breath on his face, Nathan whispered through clenched teeth. "I sweat to God, Carter, if you don't shut up--"

"You'll what?" Jack replied, not backing down.

The two stared hard at each other for a few seconds, then Nathan slowly released Jack and slid back to his side of the couch.

"At least tell me you have a plan for getting us out of here." Jack pulled at his shirt to straighten where Nathan had messed it up.

"We can't," Nathan said.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean _can't_."

"The house is sensitive to the physical and emotional status of the people inside. The schematics on the file weren't specific, but what I picked up was that it can, in essence, 'sense' when two people come into some sort of…unity."

"But that's why me and Casey went in the bedroom. We sat on the bed and figured--"

"Scientist aren't idiots, Carter, in case you haven't figured that out by now." Nathan looked over at Jack and smirked. "Or did you not figure that out when we were trapped in your stupid house?"

Jack did remember. His house had gone on lockdown, saying that balance between he and the five other people inside needed to be restored. They'd tried to trick the system by hugging, therefore appearing to be unified. It didn't work. In fact, it made things worse.

"So…by unify you mean--"

"I don't know for sure."

Crossing his arms, Jack let out a curt laugh. "Well, this ought to be fun. What do you want me and Casey to do? Sit out here and plug our ears?"

"Grow up," Nathan snarled.

"Cause I'm not watching. I'm not into that kind of thing."

"There are four of us here, Carter," Nathan sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"So? What does that…" Jack trailed off as he realized what Nathan was saying. "Oh." He paused. "Well, that's awkward."

"That's why we're stuck here until somebody finds us."

"Didn't you tell someone where you were going?" Jack stood up and started pacing in front of the fire, running his hand through his short blond hair.

"Oh, just like you guys did? Sorry, we were in somewhat of a hurry."

"Right. Because I'm such a bad guy, you couldn't trust me, right?"

Lip curling, Nathan said, "You said it, not me."

Jack stopped pacing and stared hard at Nathan. Finally he spoke in a low voice. "Casey is a great girl. I don't know what she ever saw in a jerk like you."

Nathan stood up slowly, stepping menacingly close to Jack. "I don't even want to hear you say her name."

Jack smiled slightly, poking Nathan in the chest to make him back up. "And that's where the problem is, Stark. You still act like you have some kind of right as the big bad boyfriend. But you lost that right when you went behind her back and kissed her sister."

Nathan blinked slowly, his breathing quickening. "What did you say?"

"I think you heard me just fine."

Nathan glanced over at the closed door, emotions bombarding him left and right.

"You always think you can have everything you want," Jack continued, smiling coldly. "But you really screwed this one up."


	23. Chapter 23

_**Twenty Three**_

"So you think that's why we passed out?" Casey asked Allison as she watched her pace in front of the fireplace.

Allison nodded, tapping her finger thoughtfully against her chin. "I'm guessing the cabin picked up on the increased levels of stress between the two of you and wanted to defuse the situation."

Casey's face scrunched up in confusion. "Then why didn't it go off again when Stark and Jack were going at it?"

"Maybe things changed when we got here. The house new the number had changed from two to four, and it's not like we were all fighting. This kind of reminds me of the time when Carter's house went on lockdown and trapped six of us inside."

"How did you get out?" Casey asked hopefully.

A smile came to Allison's lips as she remember being freezing cold and Jack coming to the rescue by wrapping his arms around her. She still remembered the warmth of his body pressed against hers, the intoxicating smell of his cologne, the way his heart beat seemed to match hers perfectly…"

"Ally? Hello?" Casey was suddenly standing in front of Allison, waving her hand in front of her face. "You still with me?"

"Sorry," Allison said, shaking her head. "I just…never mind. We didn't. I mean, we ended up have to disarm the nuclear power source. Kind of intense and I wouldn't want to press my luck twice."

"So what's the other option?"

Closing her eyes and rubbing them, Allison sighed. "I don't know."

"It's not…you know, we don't have to…"

Allison looked up at her sister. "Have to what?"

"You know," Casey stared down at the floor, obviously having a hard time voicing what she was thinking. "The whole unifying thing."

"No," Allison gasped, eyes opened wide. "I don't think…no way. I mean, from everything of Dr. Horton's I read, he knows sex isn't the sign of unification."

Casey nodded, relief evident on her face.

Suddenly, Allison snapped her finger and smiled. "I think I've got it!"

Rushing to the door, she reached her hand to the knob when it opened on it's own accord. Nathan was standing right in front of her.

"Nathan! I figured it out!"

"I need to talk to you," he said in a grave voice, not taking his eyes off Allison. Allison glanced back at Casey, who had an obviously forced smile on her face.

"Don't let me get in your way," she mumbled, walking quickly out of the bedroom with her eyes cast down.

"Listen, if we just--"

"She saw us," Nathan interrupted, crossing his arms and shutting the door.

Allison took a step back. "Who saw what?"

"Casey," he said in barely a whisper. "That night at your house. The night she left."

Allison's face scrunched up as she tried to remember, then revelation dawned. "Oh my God. You mean…" She trailed off as Nathan just stared at her. Turning around, Allison covered her mouth in shock. "No wonder she left."

"And she never said anything? Ever?"

Spinning back around, Allison frowned. "What, you think I wouldn't tell you?" Nathan didn't say anything, which just made Allison angrier. "Did you ever trust me?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"All these years! All this time! Everything we've been through! You've never trusted me, never been completely open. And now you're accusing _me_ of holding something back from _you_?"

Turning red, Nathan took a step toward Allison. "_You_ kissed _me_, remember?"

Allison glared at him. "I think we both agree that was a huge mistake."

OoOoOoOoOo

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Jack asked Casey, staring at the closed bedroom door.

Casey shrugged. "Probably figuring out how to save us all. They're like a couple of peas in a pod, those two."

Jack started to reply when Casey stood up and walked to the blank wall where the door should have been. She ran her hand lightly against the stucco, then closed her eyes and began to bang her head softly against it.

Looking over at Casey, Jack sighed. He couldn't believe he was about to say what he was going to say. "Casey, listen. While I don't for the life of me know what you or your sister could ever see in someone like Stark, you've got to know he still has feelings for you."

Casey just rolled her eyes. "Right, which is why he's about to marry my sister…_again_."

"He's an idiot, there's no doubting that."

"And arrogant," Casey said with a smile.

"The epitome of arrogant."

"And he gets so serious about his work!"

Jack laughed. "Obsessed is the word you're looking for."

Casey laughed too.

"And yet," Jack said softly, standing up and walking to where she was, "you still have feelings for him too."

She bit her lip, then sighed. "It wouldn't matter if I did or didn't."

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom swung open. The two looked over to see Nathan and Allison emerge.

"We figured it out," Allison stated, her face serious.

"You don't have to look so happy about it," Jack replied.

Allison smirked, then shook her head. "Sensors in the house pick up on physical and psychological changes in the occupants. We're guessing it measures a base level when you come in, then waits for an increase in things that would indicate a positive change. Things like pupil dilation, heart rate, overall body temperature, tone of voice--"

"We get it, Allison," Jack interrupted. "We may not be geniuses, but I think we can guess where you're going."

"Right. Well, all that would explain why the door didn't open when it was just the two of you here."

Jack couldn't help but smile. "Are you saying that the house can tell when you're in love?" He laughed and Casey joined with him, but Allison and Nathan remained stoic. Jack's laughter died down. "Wait, is that what you're saying?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense, Carter," Allison sighed. "And I'm guessing that's what all those pictures of Dr. Horton with the other women were about. There was no increase in the relationship with them because there wasn't anything wrong in the first place."

"How high does this base level have to go for the door to appear?" Casey asked, crossing her arms and frowning in concern.

"We have no way of telling. I'm guessing pretty high since Dr. Horton was trying to gage more than like or infatuation. He was looking for love."

Jack shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "So, shouldn't the two of you be able to raise the base level thingy high enough?" He looked back and forth between Nathan and Allison.

"I don't think it works like that. There's four of us, so that would mean all four…" Allison trailed off, looking over at Nathan.

Glancing between the three of them, Jack held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just the Sheriff. I don't have problems with anyone here. Innocent bystander."

"Right, we'll remember that the next time Stark is about to kill you," Casey replied with a smile.

"Look," Allison began again. "We've got to deal with some if these issues or we're never going to get out of here."

Jack and Allison looked at Casey and Nathan, who were both staring at the ground.

"Well," Jack finally said. "I think we all know who needs to go first."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Woo-hoo! One more chapter to go! I hope you like the ending!

_**Twenty Four**_

Nathan watched as Casey made her way over the fireplace in the bedroom, crossing her arms. The look on her face told him she'd rather be anywhere than there with him. She wouldn't even meet his eyes.

"You shouldn't have come up here in the first place," he told her for the lack of anything else to say.

"You're one to talk," she replied, her dark expression deepening.

"I came here looking for you." He started to approach her, but stopped.

She looked up at him and shook her head. "Why, Stark?"

Staring into her brown eyes, those brown eyes he'd known so well but tried so hard to forget, Nathan found himself at a loss for words.

Casey just shook her head again, then looked back in the fire. "You're right, you know," she muttered after a moment of silence. "I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have come back to Eureka. I don't know what I was thinking."

Opening and closing his fist, Nathan willed himself to speak the words he knew he needed to. He'd never been good at admitting he was wrong, at being vulnerable. The one person he'd been able to that with was standing right in front of him, yet all the years he'd spent building up his rock hard shell were making it difficult to open up again.

He stood there, staring at her for he didn't know how long, when she finally spoke up again.

"You aren't making this whole reconciliation thing any easier, you know."

"You're the one who ran away."

Taking a step back from the fire, she approached him slowly, anger evident on her face. "And what was I supposed to do, Stark? Sit back and watch you fall for my sister?"

"I wasn't falling for your sister! I never cared about her like I did you!"

"Then why did you marry her?" Casey shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

Nathan paused. When he spoke again, his voice was much quieter. "Don't think I haven't asked myself that a million times."

He could tell she was shocked by the answer, but her stance remained rigid. "That's not an answer."

"I never felt about her the way I did about you," he managed.

"You still haven't answered--"

"You broke my heart, Casey," he bit out, his voice suddenly husky. "You left without saying goodbye, without a backward glance, and it was like you took a chunk of my heart with you. I was angry, confused, and just pissed off." Shaking his head, he stared up at the ceiling. "I married her for the same reason I buried myself in my work. I was trying to forget you."

If he thought his honesty would be the answer, it wasn't. When he looked back at Casey, she was even angrier than before. "_I_ broke _your_ heart? _Me_? I'm not the one who went sneaking behind your back, Stark!"

"She kissed me," he defended.

"Last I checked, it took two people to tango." Stepping closer to him, she poked him in the chest to emphasize her point. "And you certainly didn't waste any time forgetting about me, did you?"

"You're right," he answered. "I didn't."

His answer diffused her anger slightly. She took a few steps back. "Excuse me?"

"Henry had a prototype for a memory modification device. I went and saw him about a month after you left."

Casey blinked a few times. "Y-You did what?"

"I think that's why I married your sister," he explained. "As much as I tried to deny it, she kind of reminded me of you."

She stared at him for a moment, then scoffed in disbelief. "How convenient. The great Nathan Stark has a technology answer for everything, doesn't he?"

"You don't believe me?"

Casey and Nathan started at each other, unmoving. Finally, Casey replied, sounding defeated. "I want to."

Try as he might, Nathan couldn't help but smile slightly. He took two strides forward. Wanting to take her hand in his, but not wanting to push it, he clasped his hands in front of him. "Don't just try."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Hungry?" Jack asked Allison, looking in the fridge.

"What have you got?" she asked, walking up behind.

Jack turned to her and smiled. "The usual. Chocolate covered strawberries. Oysters. Champagne."

Allison laughed. "Thanks, I'll pass. I'm not dying of hunger yet."

Jack shut the fridge, then leaned back against it, shoving his hands in his pocket. "So how are you doing with all this, Allison? Really?"

Looking up into those blue eyes that were so kind and compassionate, Allison sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Turning and pacing to the couch, Allison sat, Jack following her. "I don't know what I should feel. Confused as to why Casey came back after all this time? Angry that Nathan is obsessing over her?"

"Allison," Jack said, scooting closer to her. "I didn't ask you what you _should_ be feeling. I asked what you_ are_ feeling."

Leaning her head back on the couch, she smiled at him. "You never ask the easy questions, do you?"

"It's my job," Jack replied with a shrug. "And, more than that, you're my friend. I know we haven't spent much time together lately, but I care about you, Allison." He paused. "I've always cared about you."

Allison closed her eyes. "Thanks, Carter."

Jack just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. She was so beautiful, sitting there with her eyes closed. Why was she marrying a man who had so many issues? Who was so obviously confused and conflicted? She deserved so much better…

"I'm not upset," she finally said, interrupting Jack's study of her.

"That's good," he responded, looking away and shaking his head, trying to keep his cool.

"You don't think that's weird?" she asked, opening her eyes and frowning.

"Um…should I?"

"Carter, my fiancé is in love with my sister. Shouldn't that make me upset?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, it's pretty understandable. I mean, she is cute."

Allison playfully slapped Jack across the chest, laughing with him. "Thanks a lot. That's a real confidence booster."

"You don't need a confidence booster. You're not upset, remember?"

She sighed again, running a hand through her long brown hair. "I know. I should be, but I'm not. In fact, I'm kind of…" Allison trailed off, shaking her head.

"Relieved?" Jack filled in for her.

Turning and looking at him with wide eyes, she said, "Yeah…how did you know?"

_Because you don't love him and you don't belong with him and you know it_ Jack thought to himself. Instead, he said, "Lucky guess."

"Sounds awful, doesn't it?"

Jack bit his lip. "Allison, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why are you marrying Stark again?"

Allison just stared at Jack and he held her gaze. "Nobody want to be alone, Jack," she finally said, her voice quiet. "You're divorced. You know how hard it is to trust that you'll ever find someone else."

Jack felt his heart speed up and his mouth grow dry. He licked his lips. "And you figured Nathan was your best choice?"

"He felt like the safe choice," Allison replied, looking down at her hands. "I don't know, I guess I was just kind of afraid to say no."

Jack bit his lip, choosing his next words carefully. "Allison?" He waited until those brown eyes met his again. "What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

She blinked a few times, then a small smile crept across her face. Pulse racing, Jack allowed himself a small smile as well.

"Sheriff Carter?" a familiar voice suddenly spoke up from behind.

Jack and Allison turned and saw a confused Fargo and Deputy Lupo standing at the open door to the cabin. They stood up simultaneously, shouting, "Don't shut the door!"


	25. Chapter 25

_Twenty Five_

Sheriff Carter was having a bad day.

Head pounding, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. How long he sat like that, he didn't know. But Fargo clearing his throat reminded him that this, indeed, was not a bad dream.

"Vacation?" Jack repeated for the fifth time.

"Yes," Fargo replied, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

Opening his eyes, Jack looked at the hippie Dr. Horton standing next to Fargo, a bemused expression on his face. "You were on vacation?"

Dr. Horton shrugged. "We needed some time off. We went to the cabin, then decided that a week in Hawaii would be perfect right now."

"And you didn't bother to tell anyone?" Jack asked, glancing at Fargo who was avoiding his gaze.

"I didn't think we'd be missed."

Jack shook his head, clenching his fists, thinking about ways he could kill Fargo and get away with it.

"S-Sorry Sheriff," Fargo apologized for the sixth time.

"I know," Jack sighed.

"But look on the bright side!" Fargo said, taking a step toward Jack. "I mean, Dr. Stark and Casey are together again. They both seem happier than ever. So something good came of it."

Shaking his head, Jack couldn't help but smile as well. "I guess you're right. I didn't even know Stark knew how to smile."

"It is an amazing device, that cabin," Dr. Horton chuckled. "My wife and I love it. We're as different as night and day, and love each other all the more for it. The cabin always reminds us of that fact."

"Yeah, well, that thing almost killed us, you know," Jack retorted, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms with a scowl.

"I doubt that would have happened," Dr. Horton argued.

"Good thing Stark and Casey worked out their differences or we might never have gotten out of there. We walked in on them making out." Jack shuttered. "I've been having nightmares. They finally got that stupid door to open."

Dr. Horton frowned. "Oh, well, that can't be it."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there were four of you in there. The reconciliation of Dr. Stark and Ms. Blake would have only been half of it." Dr. Horton smiled to himself. "Though I'm not surprised. Did you know I've identified over 200 different physical and psychological components that line up when people are perfectly compatible?" He chuckled. "You might say I've found a way to show you who your soul mate is. Those two are obviously meant to be together."

Jack continued to stare at the doctor for a moment, then shook his head, smiling. "Right, sure. We must have gotten out because Fargo and Jo came and opened the door."

This time, Fargo frowned. "No, Sheriff."

"No, what?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Fargo paused and looked back and forth between Jack and dr. Horton. "The door was open when we got there."

**FINALLY!! THE END!! **

**A/N:** Thanks for sticking it through. I hope you liked it!


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